Today was the Feasts of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, which supercedes the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity. The fires across the county are almost all under control, the weather was cool and slightly overcast. The beautiful weather brought out 20 people.
Dying to Know?
Father Acker is nearing the end, so to speak, of his short series on Death from the Christian Perspective.
The Book of Common Prayer provides a lot of guidance and direction for our lives, it also provides for liturgies or services for almost everything we need and in the oder we need it. If you come to church on Sunday, you are familiar with the service of Holy Communion, many of you are not only familiar with, but actually use the Morning and Evening Prayer services. Near the front of the book and near the end, there are many prayers you can use in your daily life. But there is more. Each of us will go through most of the following, and hopefully mostly in the order presented:
• Joining the church through baptism;
• Learning more about the church;
• Confirming our commitment to the church through confirmation;
• Get married;
• Have children;
• Get sick
Lastly, leave this earth.
The Book of Common Prayer provides for each of these with the following services starting on Page 271:
The Ministration of Holy Baptism
The Offices of Instruction
The Order of Confirmation
The Solemnization of Matrimony
The Thanksgiving after Child-birth
The Visitation of the Sick
The Communion of the Sick
The Burial of the Dead
Take the opportunity to see what has been provided for you; for comfort, as well as edification and praise. You may be amazed.
What about heaven? What can I expect?
CS Lewis describes heaven as a contrast to the here and now, which he refers to as the Shadowlands. His understanding is that life here is merely a shadow of what is to come. “For now we see darkly, as through a glass.”
The most important thing to understand is that we will have everything we are in need of to be truly happy. God has made provision for all our needs and desires. We will be at one with Him. Much is said, much speculated and much read in to what Jesus has said. But remember, He has made the arrangements.
What of purgatory and limbo?
These are concepts not in the Bible, they are ideas and terms made up by people to rationalize what they could not grasp. Jesus tells us, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
The problem is I am not perfect, I just don’t measure up.
None of us do. In the Book of Hebrews, we hear, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
There will be a judgment, but for Christians when the Father looks upon us he sees the face of His Son—made in the image of Christ. We shall see God and either love what we see or hate what we see. We will enter into his arms or run away.
If you would like a great description of both the sorting process to get in and heaven itself, read The Last Battle, by CS Lewis
Jack Arnold read the Epistle for the Feasts of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, which comes from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the Second Chapter beginning at the Nineteenth Verse.
Although addressed to the church in Ephesus, it speaks to all of us. He talks of the unity of the Church. We should no longer view ourselves as of this part or that, but rather all in one brotherhood with our fellow Christians. Jesus built a Church whose foundation are the Apostles and Prophets, of which He is the cornerstone and we are the framing. For the Church to grow into a temple fit for God, we must all work together to hold it up.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
The Gospel for the Feasts of Saint Simon and Saint Jude comes from the Gospel of St. John, beginning at the Seventeenth Chapter of the Fifteenth Verse. Jesus tells us to be His follower, we must love one another. Regardless of how the world treats us, our duty is towards our neighbor. Jesus, the prime example, was persecuted to the point of a horrible death, because His goodness threatened the establishment of the Jews. Not because they were Jews, for He was also, but because their allegiance was to the Law, written of man, not to God at whose direction the Law was written. Those who persecuted Him did not want their sin unveiled, they were comfortable hiding behind the veil of the Law.
These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Sermon - Rule of Law or Life of Love?
Each of us is as today’s Epistle points out built as a holy temple, a habitation of God; we are, or should be, “fellow-citizens with the saints”, those faithful in Christ gone before.
Jesus is the “head corner-stone”, the perfect block from which the whole building was aligned—every brick, wall, window. From this perfect ordering came the foundation of the Church, the apostles and prophets. The apostles faithfully passed on the Truth, the prophets spoke for God.
Sometimes we think doing the right thing is hard. Sometimes doing something else seems easier. That is only because we do not have the foresight to see what results from doing right and what results from shirking.
When we think of doing right, with the recent fires, bravery comes to mind. Bravery is the term used to describe doing what must be done when you are scared. What must be done, must be done whether or not you are scared. Doing it constitutes bravery,
If you will follow the clear directions God has given us, you will have the Right Stuff to handle your problems:
• Loss of your home
Death of a loved one
• Abuse
• Drugs
Pornography
• Unplanned pregnancy
• Problems
o at home
o at work
o with friends
o with family
It should also be pointed out that a lot of God’s directions will keep you from the aforementioned problems. With His help, with Jesus as the cornerstone in your life—you’re not alone and you are not without direction.
In God’s family we help one another, we do the right thing
Propers for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity – For those who don’t want to miss anything!
The Epistle for this Sunday (superceded by the joint feast) came from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians beginning at the Tenth Verse of the Sixth Chapter. Paul asks us to get our strength from the Lord and accept His mighty power, to take all His protection as our armor against the power of darkness. For with His protection, we are truly and completely safe.
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y brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplica-tion in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perse-verance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
The Gospel was written in the Forth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. John beginning at the Forty-Sixth Verse. John tells the story of a nobleman of Capernaum, who like the faithful centurion, and unlike many in this world, was willing to accept His word.
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here was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judæa into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judæa into Galilee.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported anniversaries today. Today, we celebrated Jack Arnold’s 15th birthday.
After Church Hospitality
Today in honor of Jack’s birthday, Dru Arnold brought a birthday cake. The white cake with cheesecake mousse frosting is Jack’s favorite. Your Beadle also loveth it. The points impaired were reduced to eating nuts.
Command Master Chief Brewer Macauley is back from holiday in Hawaii with his lovely wife Jan and handled the barrista duties like pro he is. 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
Chris, Stephanie, Alex and Andrew are returning from travel this week.
Hap 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 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 last week with her daughter Kathy.
Annie Springer did not make it to church this morning. She still has problems with her vision which preclude her from driving right now and Mike is on 12 hour shifts with no days off due to the fire. 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 week before last. 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 had surgery last week. Norm passed away last week. 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.
San Diego County Fires October 2007
Four years almost to the day after the Cedar Fire of 2003, San Diego County had another series of fires. With about 300,000 acres burned and over half a million people evacuated, the county was widely affected.
As many of you know, Father Acker is a Chaplain with the San Diego County Sheriff’s office. In addition to taking care of his church flock and brokering help for them, he spent the week with the SDSO. He took the time to send out e-bulletins several times each day providing both pictorial and narrative updates of the fire and church members affected. As a congregation, we were very lucky, no one hurt, no homes lost (as of this writing). Marianne Lane seems to have been the only one actually evacuated. Muriel Pappin, Karen Dingwall, the Lizaks, the Macauleys and the Ackers were all close to evacuation one or more times, but the fires were turned back.
Great work Father Acker! Your work distributing information and keeping contact with the parish is much appreciated.
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 Simon and Jude anyway?
Today, 28 October is the feast of two of the apostles, Simon and Jude.
They are little mentioned in the Bible, Simon less than Jude. Their names appear on the various New Testament lists of the Twelve Apostles, the tenth and eleventh places are occupied by Simon the Zealot and by Judas of James.
Some ancient Christian writers say that Simon and Jude went together as missionaries to Persia, and were martyred there. If this is true, it explains, to some extent, our lack of historical information on them and also why they are usually put together.
Simon is not mentioned by name in the New Testament except on these lists. Some modern writers have used his surname as the basis for conjectures associating him, and through him Jesus and all His original followers, with the Zealot movement described by Josephus, a Jewish independence movement devoted to assassination and violent insurrection. However, there were many movements that were called Zealot, not all alike, and Josephus tells us the movement he is describing did not arise until shortly before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.
Judas (often called Jude in English, but the Greek has Judas) is variously named, but this is not surprising. Before the Crucifixion, there would be a need to distinguish him among the apostles from Judas Iscariot, and after the Crucifixion there would be an additional reason for being emphatic about the distinction.
After the Last Supper it was Jude who asked Our Lord why he chose to reveal Himself only to the disciples. He received the reply: "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
The ninth name on the lists of Apostles is that of James (the son) of Alphaeus. Although most modern translations render "Judas of James" as "Judas the son of James," there has been a tendency to understand it as "Judas the brother of James" and to assume that these two apostles were brothers. This assumption in turn leads to an identification of the two with the "brothers of the Lord" of the same name. The difficulty with this is that the brothers (at least some of them) did not believe in Jesus until after the Resurrection, and therefore could not have been part of the Twelve.
The New Testament Epistle of Jude was written by "Judas the brother of James," which could refer to either Jude.
In any case, we commemorate on this day (1) Simon the Zealot, one of the original Twelve; (2) Judas of James (also called Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus), also one of the original Twelve; and (3) Jude (or Judas) the brother of James and author of the Epistle, without settling the question of whether (2) and (3) are the same person.
The Epistle of Jude is a brief document addressed to the Church, and warns against corrupt influences that have crept in. It has some obscure and baffling references to old Jewish traditions, but it includes a memorable exhortation to "contend for the faith once delivered to the saints," and an even more memorable closing:
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding great joy, to the only wise God, or Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
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 have returned from their meeting in Vietnam with potential candidates.
Father Mai filed this report:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Thank you for your concerned by pray and support our trip to mission for Vietnam from Oct 4 to 14, 2007. Thank’s God everything’s great; glory to God and bless Vietnamese Christians of House Churches
The seminar ran from Sunday 7 October 2007 through Thursday 11 October 2007 at the request of the attendees as they wanted to get back home on Saturday to allow them to take care of their churches on Sunday. Instead of our original 8:00 am to 5:00 pm schedule, we ran a 7:00 am to 8:30 pm. schedule with 15 people participating.
The following people full-time attended the program, and interested in applying to with APA are:
1. Tan Le M 41 Pastor for 40 Christian members
2. Hue Pham F 52 Student Bible College, Asst Pastor
3. Thien Huynh M 52 Pastor for 1,201 Christian members
4. An Huynh M 38 Asst Pastor
5. Binh Nguyen M 36 Asst Pastor
6. Hoa Nguyen M 40 Asst Pastor
7. Huynh Thang M 22 Asst Pastor
8. Sieu Nhun M 40 Pastor for 220 Christian members
9. Minh Nhay M 32 Pastor for 70 Christian members
10. Hung Nguyen M 51 Pastor for 50 Christian members
11. Trang Nguyen M 22 Asst. Pastor
12. Dieu Binh M 34 Pastor for 270 Christian members
13. Dieu Nua M 56 Asst Pastor
14. Dieu Chot M 39 Asst Pastor
15. Dieu Nghinh M 24 Asst Pastor
16. Thang Phan M 53 Pastor for 200 Christian members; and his 3 Asst Pastor are evangelists in Da Nang (Central of Vietnam)
Total 19 workers who lead 2,811 Christian members would like to join with the APA.
Pastor Ynien Kpor with his Associates are pastoring for 540 Christiansmembers. May not qualified to join with APA. Because his purpose seems to be financial support more than denominational partnership.
In Christ service,
JBMai+
Now that Bishop Boyce and Father Mai have returned from Vietnam, we will be working on a plan for Phase II. If we it looks like we can move further forward, we will 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.
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.
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
4 November 2007 Ben Lizak
11 November 2007 Greg Chase
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 would normally be the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity, but it is superceded this year by All Saints Sunday. The pre-service class is back. Father Acker still seems to be 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
Sunday, November 18, 2007
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.
S
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.
J
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
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:
N
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.
S
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.
J
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
2007 Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
Today was the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. The morning temperature at Mount Olympus was 43°F under clear skies, down the hill a mild marine layer brought the cloud deck all the way to Tavern Road. Temperatures by the start of the service were in the very high 60°s, the sun was warm and bright. The almost perfect weather brought 23 people out, including Patti Jones who is moving to Klamath Falls, Oregon next week.
Dying to Know?
Father Acker continued his 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. This series is far more about living than about dying; just as the actual act of dying is only a segue in life from here to there.
The life everlasting is more than the immortality of the soul. As Christians we see life as sacramental, that is the outward and visible as a sign of the inward and spiritual.
The sacramental life of eternity we see is no Hindu merger into a universal soul. We don’t order a hot dog and say, “Make me one with everything.”
Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
Jesus came as a person to known as a person by individual persons—by you.
Our name of Blessed Trinity is about God being known in the relationship of persons:
• Father
• Son
• Holy Spirit.
God is a personal God, not The Force, but a personal God who knows you. Life, eternal and mortal, is all about knowing personally, not impersonally.
“Do you know Jesus Christ?
“Is Jesus your personal savior?
“Have you been saved?
As Christians, of the Anglican arm, our view of life is that of the Bible. We look to Jesus’ words and actions, the Holy Scriptures, as the Word of God.
To God, the Creator, each individual person is valued.
“Before you were born, while you were being knit in the womb, I knew you.”
That is God’s definition of your being, your person.
God values you, not by absorbing you into the cosmic “over-soul.” He values you in your being known.
Our being coming to completion, to its fullness, is what God knows of us. Our living and our dying to new life is our fulfilling what God created in us. Dying is much like graduation from a course of any kind, with another following it. Much of the fear we associate with dying is the fear associated with any graduation.
Sacramental life is for bringing about the qualities of your individuality—the outward and visible with the inward and spiritual.
God created us individually in His image. Our individuality is not due to our own “self-creation, self-generated source of being, independence” or any other new age claptrap. We are each specially and custom made by God, a God who knows us far better than we seem to know ourselves. We find true meaning in collaboration with others, in common union, or communion with the “fellowship of saints”, fellow Christians.
So, what does this mean in terms of death and dying?
When we die, we leave this world, our imperfect bodies, behind. We join God in heaven as individuals. Dying is merely the path out of this world, for us to heaven; with other destinations for some.
Hap Arnold read the Epistle for today, on behalf of Greg Chase who had laryngitis, which came from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians beginning at the Seventeenth Verse of the Fourth Chapter. Typical of Paul, he uses a spiral argument with a seemingly confusing structure to further instruct the people on how to become the New Man. Our nature is not good, but rather straying from good. We have to work at good, by ourselves good is not attainable, but through Christ, we can attain good. Paul asks us to lie no more, particularly to ourselves, but rather to “speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” If we are angry, we must “let not the sun go down upon our wrath.” We should not live off others, but rather, “labour, working with our hands the thing which is good, that we may have to give to him that needeth.” Speak good, speak that others might learn. Put away ill feeling, give in to God and be “kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” 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.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
The Gospel was written in the Fourth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew beginning at the First Verse. Jesus came upon “a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” Present were scribes of the temple. They thought to themselves., “This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. Sometimes we are tempted to view the troubles of this world as the only issues we have to confront. Surely the trouble we have here pales to that we have if we make the wrong choices here and end up in the pit. Many can heal the palsy; only through Jesus can our sins be forgiven. In this case, the sins were forgiven and the problems of this earth resolved. The power of Jesus was again made manifest.
Jesus entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Sermon - Sharing God’s vision
In today’s Epistle to the Ephesians, as in much of the New Testament, on first reading Paul seems to focus an awful lot on lusts of the flesh, sin, and the fallen state of our being men and women.
This understanding, or lack of understanding, has many people saying, “All you Christians seem to talk about are Sex and Money.”
While that seems to draw a lot of people to television shows, it is not much a draw for Sunday services.
That is not Paul’s message, in today’s Epistle or anywhere else.
Listen as Paul describes the kind of life God wants us to live:
• Tell the truth, to your neighbor and everyone else;
o No lies
o No pretense
• In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other;
o We have a lot of neighbors;
• You can be moved to anger;
o Never let anger winter over, ever let the sun go down on that anger;
o Do not give in to revenge, for in revenge is the devil found;
o Give no foothold for Satan in your life.
• Hold an honest job so you can even help those in need;
o Help those in need;
o Encourage the lazy to be givers, not takers;
• When you speak, make your words worth hearing;
o Speak so you help others
o Talking so that every word you speak helps others, and they see it as a gift.
• If you will let Him, the Holy Spirit will move and breathe in every part of your life, So that your living warms the heart of God.
o Be always ready to forgive with real compassion reflecting Jesus’ forgiveness.
o Remember what you have been taught by Christ
God knows what is best for us and shares that knowledge. Will we listen? We need to share that knowledge with those around us.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported anniversaries today. Today, we celebrated Greg Chase’s 59th birthday today.
After Church Hospitality
Today Marianne and Betsy Lane brought the goodies and what a feast! Left to right on the table, we found two kinds of macadamia nuts, salted and honey mustard; blueberry muffins and three kinds of vegetables, with two kinds of dip.
Tim’s House of Coffee provided the drinks under the direction of Barrista Ben Lizak. 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. In fact, we kind of lost a nametag, with Patti and George Jones moving next week to Klamath Falls, Oregon:
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. Betty is slowing down a bit, but still likes to go out to a late lunch, if anyone cares to stop by.
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 well in to major rehabilitation for her right arm and shoulder has healed. Please pray that she will do her best to overcome this problem.
Evelyn Hunt is doing very well. She will be coming to church once a month with her daughter Kathy.
Annie Springer made it to church again this morning. She still has vision problems precluding her from driving right now. They are working on stabilizing her diabetes and high blood pressure medications. 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 working together with God’s help.
Lona Walsh (Wanda Michaelis' mother) surgery has been put off.
Miney Farrell 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.
A word in Hymn 204 that I do not understand - DESCRY
I love our current communion hymn - Humbly I adore thee, verity unseen, (Hymn 204) but there is a word in Verse Four that I am not familiar with – descry.
Jesus, whom now veiléd, I by faith descry
The word descry comes from the Middle English. It means more or less to catch sight of. More technical definitions from Webster’s 1913 are:
1. To spy out or discover by the eye, as objects distant or obscure; to espy; to recognize; to discern; to discover.
2. To discover; to disclose; to reveal.
3. Discovery or view, as of an army seen at a distance.
4. Catch sight of
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.
The Anonymous Little White Trailer
For some months now, we have had a lovely trailer to carry our church in, a Church in the Box, so to speak. While very nice and handy with its spacious interior and neatly organized shelving, it is somewhat non-descript, anonymous so to speak. No more! After today’s Vestry Meeting, Father Acker, the Beadle, the Under Beadle and the Deputy Beadle changed all that.
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 completed the meeting in Vietnam and trained 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
We expect a briefing on the meeting from Bishop Boyce and Father Mai later this week. At that point, we will have a better sense of what is needed going forward. We will 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.
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
21 October 2007 Holly Lizak
28 October 2007 Jack Arnold
Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Twentieth 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 not what they 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
Dying to Know?
Father Acker continued his 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. This series is far more about living than about dying; just as the actual act of dying is only a segue in life from here to there.
The life everlasting is more than the immortality of the soul. As Christians we see life as sacramental, that is the outward and visible as a sign of the inward and spiritual.
The sacramental life of eternity we see is no Hindu merger into a universal soul. We don’t order a hot dog and say, “Make me one with everything.”
Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
Jesus came as a person to known as a person by individual persons—by you.
Our name of Blessed Trinity is about God being known in the relationship of persons:
• Father
• Son
• Holy Spirit.
God is a personal God, not The Force, but a personal God who knows you. Life, eternal and mortal, is all about knowing personally, not impersonally.
“Do you know Jesus Christ?
“Is Jesus your personal savior?
“Have you been saved?
As Christians, of the Anglican arm, our view of life is that of the Bible. We look to Jesus’ words and actions, the Holy Scriptures, as the Word of God.
To God, the Creator, each individual person is valued.
“Before you were born, while you were being knit in the womb, I knew you.”
That is God’s definition of your being, your person.
God values you, not by absorbing you into the cosmic “over-soul.” He values you in your being known.
Our being coming to completion, to its fullness, is what God knows of us. Our living and our dying to new life is our fulfilling what God created in us. Dying is much like graduation from a course of any kind, with another following it. Much of the fear we associate with dying is the fear associated with any graduation.
Sacramental life is for bringing about the qualities of your individuality—the outward and visible with the inward and spiritual.
God created us individually in His image. Our individuality is not due to our own “self-creation, self-generated source of being, independence” or any other new age claptrap. We are each specially and custom made by God, a God who knows us far better than we seem to know ourselves. We find true meaning in collaboration with others, in common union, or communion with the “fellowship of saints”, fellow Christians.
So, what does this mean in terms of death and dying?
When we die, we leave this world, our imperfect bodies, behind. We join God in heaven as individuals. Dying is merely the path out of this world, for us to heaven; with other destinations for some.
Hap Arnold read the Epistle for today, on behalf of Greg Chase who had laryngitis, which came from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians beginning at the Seventeenth Verse of the Fourth Chapter. Typical of Paul, he uses a spiral argument with a seemingly confusing structure to further instruct the people on how to become the New Man. Our nature is not good, but rather straying from good. We have to work at good, by ourselves good is not attainable, but through Christ, we can attain good. Paul asks us to lie no more, particularly to ourselves, but rather to “speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” If we are angry, we must “let not the sun go down upon our wrath.” We should not live off others, but rather, “labour, working with our hands the thing which is good, that we may have to give to him that needeth.” Speak good, speak that others might learn. Put away ill feeling, give in to God and be “kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” 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.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
The Gospel was written in the Fourth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew beginning at the First Verse. Jesus came upon “a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” Present were scribes of the temple. They thought to themselves., “This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. Sometimes we are tempted to view the troubles of this world as the only issues we have to confront. Surely the trouble we have here pales to that we have if we make the wrong choices here and end up in the pit. Many can heal the palsy; only through Jesus can our sins be forgiven. In this case, the sins were forgiven and the problems of this earth resolved. The power of Jesus was again made manifest.
Jesus entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Sermon - Sharing God’s vision
In today’s Epistle to the Ephesians, as in much of the New Testament, on first reading Paul seems to focus an awful lot on lusts of the flesh, sin, and the fallen state of our being men and women.
This understanding, or lack of understanding, has many people saying, “All you Christians seem to talk about are Sex and Money.”
While that seems to draw a lot of people to television shows, it is not much a draw for Sunday services.
That is not Paul’s message, in today’s Epistle or anywhere else.
Listen as Paul describes the kind of life God wants us to live:
• Tell the truth, to your neighbor and everyone else;
o No lies
o No pretense
• In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other;
o We have a lot of neighbors;
• You can be moved to anger;
o Never let anger winter over, ever let the sun go down on that anger;
o Do not give in to revenge, for in revenge is the devil found;
o Give no foothold for Satan in your life.
• Hold an honest job so you can even help those in need;
o Help those in need;
o Encourage the lazy to be givers, not takers;
• When you speak, make your words worth hearing;
o Speak so you help others
o Talking so that every word you speak helps others, and they see it as a gift.
• If you will let Him, the Holy Spirit will move and breathe in every part of your life, So that your living warms the heart of God.
o Be always ready to forgive with real compassion reflecting Jesus’ forgiveness.
o Remember what you have been taught by Christ
God knows what is best for us and shares that knowledge. Will we listen? We need to share that knowledge with those around us.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported anniversaries today. Today, we celebrated Greg Chase’s 59th birthday today.
After Church Hospitality
Today Marianne and Betsy Lane brought the goodies and what a feast! Left to right on the table, we found two kinds of macadamia nuts, salted and honey mustard; blueberry muffins and three kinds of vegetables, with two kinds of dip.
Tim’s House of Coffee provided the drinks under the direction of Barrista Ben Lizak. 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. In fact, we kind of lost a nametag, with Patti and George Jones moving next week to Klamath Falls, Oregon:
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. Betty is slowing down a bit, but still likes to go out to a late lunch, if anyone cares to stop by.
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 well in to major rehabilitation for her right arm and shoulder has healed. Please pray that she will do her best to overcome this problem.
Evelyn Hunt is doing very well. She will be coming to church once a month with her daughter Kathy.
Annie Springer made it to church again this morning. She still has vision problems precluding her from driving right now. They are working on stabilizing her diabetes and high blood pressure medications. 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 working together with God’s help.
Lona Walsh (Wanda Michaelis' mother) surgery has been put off.
Miney Farrell 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.
A word in Hymn 204 that I do not understand - DESCRY
I love our current communion hymn - Humbly I adore thee, verity unseen, (Hymn 204) but there is a word in Verse Four that I am not familiar with – descry.
Jesus, whom now veiléd, I by faith descry
The word descry comes from the Middle English. It means more or less to catch sight of. More technical definitions from Webster’s 1913 are:
1. To spy out or discover by the eye, as objects distant or obscure; to espy; to recognize; to discern; to discover.
2. To discover; to disclose; to reveal.
3. Discovery or view, as of an army seen at a distance.
4. Catch sight of
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.
The Anonymous Little White Trailer
For some months now, we have had a lovely trailer to carry our church in, a Church in the Box, so to speak. While very nice and handy with its spacious interior and neatly organized shelving, it is somewhat non-descript, anonymous so to speak. No more! After today’s Vestry Meeting, Father Acker, the Beadle, the Under Beadle and the Deputy Beadle changed all that.
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 completed the meeting in Vietnam and trained 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
We expect a briefing on the meeting from Bishop Boyce and Father Mai later this week. At that point, we will have a better sense of what is needed going forward. We will 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.
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
21 October 2007 Holly Lizak
28 October 2007 Jack Arnold
Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Twentieth 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 not what they 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
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
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
2007 Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
Today was the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity. The morning temperature at Mount Olympus was 63°F with a light Santa Ana condition. Down the hill, winds were calm and skies clear and bright. With almost perfect weather, we had 26 people present.
Today’s customary pre-service class was replaced by a briefing from Father Acker on the meeting this past week of first ever Common Cause Council of Bishops was held in Pittsburgh from 25-28 September 2007. Common Cause members have come from both the now Episcopal Church (TEC) and the continuing church. Our Anglican Province of America is a member, as is the Reformed Episcopal Church, with whom we are currently unifying with. Common Cause has been around a long time and has claimed to be a force for truth and biblical “strict construction” in the church, but until now has done nothing. For the first time they are actually doing something, not just talking. Even more amazing, the Common Cause TEC bishops are leading their flocks.
The Common Cause members voted to establish a Council of Bishops, which will meet every six months, as a first step in forming a unified national church entity for the United States. The Council of Bishops then adopted a plan of action to make a new national church a reality. The Anglican bishops of Common Cause came from eleven jurisdictions and organizations and represented more than 600 Anglican congregations.
They laid out a timeline for the path ahead, committed to working together at local and regional levels, agreed to deploy clergy interchangeably and announced their intention to, in consultation “with those Primates and Provinces of the Anglican Communion offering recognition under the timeline adopted,” call a “founding constitutional convention for an Anglican union,” at the earliest possible date agreeable to all of the partners.
“We met deeply aware that we have arrived at a critical moment in the history of mainstream Anglican witness in North America. God has led us to repentance for past divisions and opened the way for a united path forward. To Him be the glory,” said Robert Duncan, convener of the council and a TEC bishop.
It remains to be seen how the TEC bishops will handle their clash with TEC, but this is a momentous first step. Like the sky-diver’s first step, they cannot back up. Congratulations to them for their courage.
Stephanie Boyd read the Epistle for today, which came from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians beginning at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter. Paul calls us to act in a manner worth of the life to which we have been called by Christ. He asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last. He reminds us, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” The key to a successful life is to put the important things at the top of your To Do List. And, notice it is a To Do List, not a To Think About or To Wait a While List. What is more important than God?
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, for-bearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Today’s Gospel came from the Fourteenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, beginning at the First Verse. The Gospel starts out reminding us the Law was designed to be flexible. The goal is to do God’s will, not to “follow the letter of the law” as the Pharisees were so keen on. They brought before Him a man in need of healing as they sat to eat on the Sabbath Day. They watched to see what He would do. Putting the monkey on their back, He asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day?” Wishing to be in a position to criticize rather than answer, “they held their peace.” He healed the man, then asked them, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath Day?” They would not respond; for the answer was obvious.
Then “He put forth a parable to those” who had been invited to dine with him, after He had seen them joust for the seats of honor. “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Do we put God first and let others raise us up, or do we put ourselves first and let others put us down?
It came came to pass, as Jesus went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things. And he put forth a parable to those which were bid-den, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Sermon - Vocation is doing
God calls on us to act, to do, to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. He calls on us to
live the life he has set out for us, to live a life that measures up to the standards He set when He called on you.
He asks us to be:
• Humble
• Gentle
• Patient
• Understanding
To show tolerant love
To live in unity of the Spirit in peace with those around us, to live our lives in oneness with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus set the example for us to follow. While we may fall short, we will never hit our target if we aim low. In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals the man with dropsy on the Sabbath, He does not just talk about healing him, or think about it; He does it. In the Gospel, He points out the big picture reasoning and asks the questioners what they would do. If you understand the general picture, you know what to do.
The Epistle and Gospel come together to tell us that Christian life is about doing, not about contemplation. While contemplation has its place, it is really only in preparation for doing. We are asked to act as one to spread the Word.
At this point in the sermon, Father Acker recalled his best and worst teachers from school. He told us he learned the most from those who were patient and caring, those who took an interest in him. That is how God wants us to act. That is how we can be most effective in spreading the Word. But, your Beadle would point out that Father Acker learned something from even the least competent of his teachers. He learned far more from the worst than from those who would not teach. It is better to teach poorly than to sit on your hands and do nothing.
Let the Holy Spirit direct your life. Ask him first, “What do you want to happen here?”
Listen for the answer, then act. Reach out not only to those in our fellowship; but to those outside. Bring them in and they will be part of our family.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported birthdays or anniversaries today.
After Church Hospitality
Today Alice Acker brought the goodies, but not the table cloth. To make things worse, she had taken the “Emergency Spare” out of the supplies box to wash it. Not to worry, Jan Macauley had one in her trunk!
Alice brought home baked ginger-like bread, with lo-carb whipped topping, and sugar-free flat cake, which was augmented by chocolate chip cookies and nuts left over from Ashley Chase’s wedding yesterday. All excellent!
Tim’s House of Coffee provided the drinks under the careful supervision of Command Master Chief Brewer Macauley. Once again, Father Acker got up early enough to make his famous low carb lemonade, a sacrifice much appreciated by your Beadle.
In response to a request from a parishioner, Jan Macauley graciously typed up the recipe for last week’s Raspberry Almond Bars which she got from a cookbook her sister the Friday before church. Looking in her cupboard, she found she had all the ingredients on hand (including the almonds that she had tucked away in her freezer) and we were the beneficiaries. She did suggest that for easier cleanup you line pan with aluminum foil and either grease or spray foil with Baker's Joy.
Raspberry Almond Bars
from Best of Country Brownies and Bars
©2007 Reiman Media Group, Inc.
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 package (10 -12 ounces) vanilla or white chips, divided
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Remove from the heat; add 1 cup chips (do not stir). In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar. Stir in chip mixture and almond extract. Combine flour and salt; add to egg mixture just until combined.
Spread half of the batter into a greased 9-in.square baking pain. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. In a small saucepan, melt jam over low heat; spread over warm crust. Stir remaining chips into the remaining batter; drop by teaspoonfuls over the jam layer. Sprinkle with almonds.
Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 2 dozen (or one Beadle serving)
New Nametags
We had had three new nametags today. Evelyn Hunt, who has been on our prayer list for many months, joined us today with her daughter Kathy. This was quite a treat for us. Kathy is going to be bringing Evelyn to church once or twice a month. We look forward to seeing both of them. In addition, the Reverend Callum Matthews joined us again. We look forward to he and his wife joining us regularly.
Travel
Patty and George are on travel.
Chris is on travel this week.
Sick or in need of healing
Betty Cooke
Diane Chase
Muriel Pappin
Fran Dexter
Martha Stevens
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 back home with her husband Jack. Please pray for her rapid recovery.
Annie Springer had to go back in the hospital due to problems with both her kidney infection and problems stabilizing her diabetes medication. She is due to be released on Monday. The problems with her vision preclude her from driving right now. Your prayers are asked for her recovery from the infection and the stabilization of her medications, as well as improvement of her vision. In addition, please pray for strength for the Springer family. 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.
The Springer family is an inspiration to your Beadle; they should be to each of us. Mike has been working nights and Annie clearly does not feel well. Yet, they are at church almost every Sunday worshipping and learning. Mike with his always happy smile and Annie with her quiet and cheerful countenance. Emilie quickly picked up the Lending Library setting out job. Alex is right there setting up the chairs and putting out prayer books and hymnals. When the Beadle is dragging, he thinks, if the Springers can do it, so can he.
Lona Walsh (Wanda Michaelis' mother) surgery has been put off.
Miney Farrell is doing great and should be in church next week according to Greg Chase.
Lorraine Winkles is still battling the shingles. She hopes not to set records for the most persistent case. 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.
Rest in Peace
On Friday, 14 September 2007, Helen Lizak, Ben’s mom who has been in nursing care for several years, passed away. Please pray for Ben and his family as the mourn her passing and for the repose of her soul.
On Saturday, 15 September 2007, Barbara Emrich passed away. There likely will only be a memorial service at Victoria Chapel. Father Acker will provide details as available.
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.
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.
Isn't the doctrine of the trinity just the worship of three gods, rather than one God?
In a word, NO. Christians believe that the three persons of the Trinity are all one God.
Deuteronomy 6:4 states, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!"
He is a super-person, so to speak, His nature being so much more complex than our own that we cannot describe Him as a single "person." The doctrine of the trinity is perhaps the most difficult and perplexing to explain, since we are trying to describe the nature of the infinite God, which finite human beings are incapable of comprehending.
What is the trinity?
Definition: "Within the one Being that is God, the exists eternally three co-equal and co-eternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."
The term trinity describes a relationship not of three gods, but of one God who is three persons. Trinity does not mean tritheism, that is, that there are three beings who together are God, but the word trinity is used in an effort to define the fullness of the Godhead both in terms of His unity and diversity.
The term trinity is never used explicitly in Scripture, but the concept is there from the beginning and specific passages such as Matthew 28:19, "baptizing them in the name [singular] of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit", refer explicitly to there being three "persons". All three persons of the trinity make an appearance at Jesus's baptism, as recorded in Mark 1:10-11, "As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" The "he" who saw this may be either Jesus or John the Baptist, who later testified about this event (John 1:32-34).
The church has rejected from the beginning heresies of modalism and tritheism.
Modalism is the denial of the distinction of persons within the Godhead, claiming that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are simply three "modes" of God expressing Himself.
Tritheism reaches to the other extreme, that of falsely declaring that there are three beings who together make up God. The term "person" does not mean a distinction in essence, but a difference in subsistence. Jesus is different in subsistence from the Father or the Holy Spirit, but he is the same essence in terms of being. The Christian definition of God asserts that the three persons of the Godhead share the same essence, the same co-eternal existence, and the same will, but not the same mind, the same position, the same role, or the same relationship. All the persons in the Godhead have all the attributes of deity.
For example, in the Torah, Moses asks God who is sending him and God replies: "I am that I am" (Exodus 3:14). Jesus lays claim to this same statement throughout the New Testament, most noticeably in John 8:58 "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am'" This is the same "I am" as stated in the Exodus passage. In John 10:30 Jesus explicitly states, "I and the Father are one." In Mark 12:35-37, Jesus lays claim to His deity, tying together both the Hebrew Scriptures (Psalm 110:1) and the New Testament. Lastly, there is the simple fact that Jesus was executed for claiming equality with God and he did not once deny the claim before his accusers (Mark 14:62 "Jesus said, 'I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.'") The Holy Spirit's role, while active throughout creation (Gen. 1:2) and in the Hebrew Scriptures (Judges 3:10, 13:25, 1 Samuel 16:13), has the specific role to live in the hearts of Christians after Jesus departed the Earth (Mark 13:11 "for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit", Acts 2). Throughout, there is an emphasis on the pre-existence of both Son and Holy Spirit. God did not at some point become three persons: the Son existed before he came to earth as Jesus, the Spirit existed before the Pentecost. God has always been the trinity: He is three persons and one God.
The trinity does not refer to "parts" of God and unfortunately human analogies fall short. True, you can point to one man who is a father, son and husband, or water in its three phases (ice, liquid and vapor). These are both modalist explanations which fail to capture the mystery of the Godhead. A more accurate but still faulty analogy may be found in ourselves, however. Human beings are composite creatures. Physically, we are trillions of cells working together to form the body, millions of neurons firing simultaneously to produce thought, two distinct hemispheres of the brain which "think" in different ways. Psychologically, we are a mess of conflicting emotions and ideas, each vying for primacy in our psyche. Spiritually, we are creatures of both soul and body, an uncomfortable mix filled with the strife between the physical and spiritual parts of our nature. Ultimately, one human person has less internal unity than the three persons of the trinity. And yet we never think of ourselves as more than one being.
The following is a traditional explanation for the roles of the three persons of God, taken from C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity:
God is a Being which contains three Persons while remaining one Being, just as a cube contains six squares while remaining one body. But as soon as I begin trying to explain how these Persons are connected, I have to use words which make it sound as if one of them was there before the others. The First Person is called the Father and the Second the Son. We say that the First begets or produces the Second; we call it begetting, not making, because what he produces is of the same kind as Himself. In that way the word Father is the only one to use. But unfortunately it suggests that He is there first--just as a human father exists before his son. But that is not so. There is no before and after about it... The Son exists because the Father exists: but there never was a time before the Father produced the Son.
We must think of the Son always, so to speak, streaming forth from the Father, like light from a lamp, or heat from a fire, or thoughts from a mind. He is the self-expression of the Father--what the Father has to say. And there never was a time when He was not saying it... All these pictures of light or heat are making it sound as if the Father and the Son are two things instead of two Persons. So that, after all, the New Testament picture of a Father and a Son turns out to be much more accurate than anything we try to substitute for it... Naturally God knows how to describe Himself much better than we know how to describe Him. He knows that Father and Son is more like the relation between the First and Second Persons than anything else we can think of. Much the most important thing to know is that it is a relation of love. The Father delights in His Son; the Son looks up to His Father...
The union between the Father and Son is such a live concrete thing that this union itself is a Person. I know this is almost inconceivable but look at it thus. You know that among human beings, when they get together in a family, or a club, or a trade union, people talk about the "spirit" of that family, or club, or trade union. They talk about its "spirit" because the individual members, when they are together, do really develop particular ways of talking and behaving, which they would not have if they were apart. It is as if a sort of communal personality came into existence. Of course, it is not a real person: it is only rather like a person. But that is just one of the difference between God and us. What grows out of the joint life of the Father and Son is a real Person, is in fact the Third of the three Persons who are God.
This third Person is called, in technical language, the Holy Ghost or the "spirit" of God. Do not be worried or surprised if you find it (or Him) rather vaguer or more shadowy in your mind than the other two... Perhaps some people might find it easier to begin with the third Person and work backward. God is love, and that love works through men--especially through the whole community of Christians. But this spirit of love is, from all eternity, a love going on between the Father and the Son.
This explanation helps to illustrate a number of things. For one, the term "Word" applied to the Son in John 1 begins to make sense when we consider the Son as the "self-expression of the Father." Perhaps more importantly, it illustrates what is meant by 1 John 4:8, which declares that "God is love." We tend to minimize this, saying it means that God is loving. But throughout the Bible, the refrain is that God loves us because His very nature is love, and it would be unlike Him not to love us. But before humans and angels, what was there to love? What besides God is eternal? Love requires an object; the word is meaningless otherwise. Love could not be part of His eternal nature if He has not had some eternal object for His love. Instead, it would be something God learned to do once He had created someone to love. Only the trinity offers an explanation of how love can be a facet of the eternal nature of God, since contained in the three persons of the trinity are the subject, object, and expression of love. The three persons of the trinity are defined primarily by the relationship shared among them.
It is hoped this helps shed some light on what the Trinity is, don't worry if you don't feel you fully understand it. Count it as amazing that, finite as we are, we mortals have been given the revelation and the insight to grasp even this much.
In short, the trinity is described by the following:
• It affirms the triunity of God.
• It is not a contradiction: God is one in essence and three in person.
• The Bible affirms both the oneness of God and the deity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• The trinity is distinguished by the work assumed by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The doctrine of the trinity sets limits of human speculation about the nature 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.
Forward in Faith, NA has fallen by the wayside. They are of no help, but at least so far no hindrance as they appear to move towards irrelevance.
Funding for the initial phase is complete.
Phase I Funding
Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity (APA) $2,000.00
Diocese of the West (APA) 3,500.00
St Michael’s by the sea, Carlsbad CA (ACN) 2,000.00
Total Cost $7,500.00
The planning phase is over, the operation is underway. Father Joseph Mai leaves Monday and Bishop Richard Boyce leaves Tuesday for Vietnam to meet and train 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.
We are pleased Father Larry Bausch informed us Holy Trinity Ocean Beach (Diocese of Argentina) will contribute at least $3,000.00 and perhaps $4,000.00 from their Mission Fund towards Phase Two of the project. Also, the American Anglican Council of San Diego (AAC) has pledged $250.00 towards Phase Two.
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 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.
New Potential Anglican Church Structure for the United States of America
As you are all well aware, with the loss of the Episcopal Church to the devil, as people noticed the water getting hotter and hotter, they got out of the pot and formed their own churches. This movement led by the people and some priests, with absolutely zero leadership exhibited by bishops of the various Episcopal iterations, resulted in the formation of a fragmented Anglican presence in the country. Given the national nature of the Anglican model, this has presented a problem. In addition, it has adversely affected our once clear “brand recognition”, greatly impacting our ability to “Spread the Word.” People did not know what to expect from each of the Anglican presences in the country.
While the “Episcopal” bishops to date had provided zero leadership, the continuing church, as it has been called, had bishops who were not afraid to lead. While there was some “turf protection”, many of the bishops were able to see the light and lead their people towards it. The continuing church has begun the coalescing needed.
In addition, there were a few “conservative” bishops in the now TEC who have been claiming to follow the Lord and “had a plan”, although they never were able to share it. They participated in “Common Cause” with the bishops of the continuing church.
With the 30 September 2007 deadline from the Worldwide Primates looming, the Common Cause bishop met in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for what would be the last time if they did not act.
In what is the miracle of the past 100 years of Anglicans in the United States, the bishops of Common Cause acted, including those conservatives of TEC. Not just talked meaningless and mindless drivel, but actually committed themselves in writing to action! They have committed to establishment of an Anglican Confederation, which should eventually form a new Anglican Church of the United States of America.
Dear readers, this is really remarkable. For the first time in 100 years, a few bishops of the TEC are leading their flocks, not wondering where they went. They have taken the first steps towards truly fulfilling their ordination vows. They have put the Word ahead of the World and broken with the collegial traditions of the bishopric. They are to be congratulated.
Father Acker’s News Flash follows:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Although it will take some time for us to adjust, we have a new structure for faithful Anglicans. The 51 Bishops representing over 600 congregations have come together to move forward for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can read the full story here:
http://www.acn-us.org/archive/2007/09/anglican-bishops-take-first-steps-to-new-structure.html
While not all the details are worked out, it is clear that we work together presenting the faith once delivered to the saints. We must be about our mission of making Jesus Christ known. I think we can expect leading primates of the Anglican Communion to give formal recognition of the new structure over the coming weeks. The worldwide community of Anglicans is now looking for us to demonstrate faithful gospel witness and mission. We must live as faithful disciples, individually, as congregations, regional federations of parishes, and in our constituent Partner organizations (ours being the Anglican Province of America).
I hope you will rejoice not only in thanksgiving, but rejoicing in word and action to make the love of Jesus known in the lives around you. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday morning!
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
7 October 2007 Alex Boyd
14 October 2007 Greg Chase
21 October 2007 Holly Lizak
28 October 2007 Ben Lizak
Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. The pre-service class is back. Father Acker is going to be taking up Death from the Christian Perspective. No one wants to talk about dying, even less to they want to die. Yet, the one condition of coming into this world is that we must leave. Death has no hold over a Christian, death is not to be feared. Through Christ we conquer death. This is going to be an interesting class series. Your Beadle thinks you will find it far more comforting and enjoyable than you think. 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
Today’s customary pre-service class was replaced by a briefing from Father Acker on the meeting this past week of first ever Common Cause Council of Bishops was held in Pittsburgh from 25-28 September 2007. Common Cause members have come from both the now Episcopal Church (TEC) and the continuing church. Our Anglican Province of America is a member, as is the Reformed Episcopal Church, with whom we are currently unifying with. Common Cause has been around a long time and has claimed to be a force for truth and biblical “strict construction” in the church, but until now has done nothing. For the first time they are actually doing something, not just talking. Even more amazing, the Common Cause TEC bishops are leading their flocks.
The Common Cause members voted to establish a Council of Bishops, which will meet every six months, as a first step in forming a unified national church entity for the United States. The Council of Bishops then adopted a plan of action to make a new national church a reality. The Anglican bishops of Common Cause came from eleven jurisdictions and organizations and represented more than 600 Anglican congregations.
They laid out a timeline for the path ahead, committed to working together at local and regional levels, agreed to deploy clergy interchangeably and announced their intention to, in consultation “with those Primates and Provinces of the Anglican Communion offering recognition under the timeline adopted,” call a “founding constitutional convention for an Anglican union,” at the earliest possible date agreeable to all of the partners.
“We met deeply aware that we have arrived at a critical moment in the history of mainstream Anglican witness in North America. God has led us to repentance for past divisions and opened the way for a united path forward. To Him be the glory,” said Robert Duncan, convener of the council and a TEC bishop.
It remains to be seen how the TEC bishops will handle their clash with TEC, but this is a momentous first step. Like the sky-diver’s first step, they cannot back up. Congratulations to them for their courage.
Stephanie Boyd read the Epistle for today, which came from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians beginning at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter. Paul calls us to act in a manner worth of the life to which we have been called by Christ. He asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last. He reminds us, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” The key to a successful life is to put the important things at the top of your To Do List. And, notice it is a To Do List, not a To Think About or To Wait a While List. What is more important than God?
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, for-bearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Today’s Gospel came from the Fourteenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, beginning at the First Verse. The Gospel starts out reminding us the Law was designed to be flexible. The goal is to do God’s will, not to “follow the letter of the law” as the Pharisees were so keen on. They brought before Him a man in need of healing as they sat to eat on the Sabbath Day. They watched to see what He would do. Putting the monkey on their back, He asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day?” Wishing to be in a position to criticize rather than answer, “they held their peace.” He healed the man, then asked them, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath Day?” They would not respond; for the answer was obvious.
Then “He put forth a parable to those” who had been invited to dine with him, after He had seen them joust for the seats of honor. “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Do we put God first and let others raise us up, or do we put ourselves first and let others put us down?
It came came to pass, as Jesus went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things. And he put forth a parable to those which were bid-den, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Sermon - Vocation is doing
God calls on us to act, to do, to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. He calls on us to
live the life he has set out for us, to live a life that measures up to the standards He set when He called on you.
He asks us to be:
• Humble
• Gentle
• Patient
• Understanding
To show tolerant love
To live in unity of the Spirit in peace with those around us, to live our lives in oneness with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus set the example for us to follow. While we may fall short, we will never hit our target if we aim low. In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals the man with dropsy on the Sabbath, He does not just talk about healing him, or think about it; He does it. In the Gospel, He points out the big picture reasoning and asks the questioners what they would do. If you understand the general picture, you know what to do.
The Epistle and Gospel come together to tell us that Christian life is about doing, not about contemplation. While contemplation has its place, it is really only in preparation for doing. We are asked to act as one to spread the Word.
At this point in the sermon, Father Acker recalled his best and worst teachers from school. He told us he learned the most from those who were patient and caring, those who took an interest in him. That is how God wants us to act. That is how we can be most effective in spreading the Word. But, your Beadle would point out that Father Acker learned something from even the least competent of his teachers. He learned far more from the worst than from those who would not teach. It is better to teach poorly than to sit on your hands and do nothing.
Let the Holy Spirit direct your life. Ask him first, “What do you want to happen here?”
Listen for the answer, then act. Reach out not only to those in our fellowship; but to those outside. Bring them in and they will be part of our family.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported birthdays or anniversaries today.
After Church Hospitality
Today Alice Acker brought the goodies, but not the table cloth. To make things worse, she had taken the “Emergency Spare” out of the supplies box to wash it. Not to worry, Jan Macauley had one in her trunk!
Alice brought home baked ginger-like bread, with lo-carb whipped topping, and sugar-free flat cake, which was augmented by chocolate chip cookies and nuts left over from Ashley Chase’s wedding yesterday. All excellent!
Tim’s House of Coffee provided the drinks under the careful supervision of Command Master Chief Brewer Macauley. Once again, Father Acker got up early enough to make his famous low carb lemonade, a sacrifice much appreciated by your Beadle.
In response to a request from a parishioner, Jan Macauley graciously typed up the recipe for last week’s Raspberry Almond Bars which she got from a cookbook her sister the Friday before church. Looking in her cupboard, she found she had all the ingredients on hand (including the almonds that she had tucked away in her freezer) and we were the beneficiaries. She did suggest that for easier cleanup you line pan with aluminum foil and either grease or spray foil with Baker's Joy.
Raspberry Almond Bars
from Best of Country Brownies and Bars
©2007 Reiman Media Group, Inc.
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 package (10 -12 ounces) vanilla or white chips, divided
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Remove from the heat; add 1 cup chips (do not stir). In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar. Stir in chip mixture and almond extract. Combine flour and salt; add to egg mixture just until combined.
Spread half of the batter into a greased 9-in.square baking pain. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. In a small saucepan, melt jam over low heat; spread over warm crust. Stir remaining chips into the remaining batter; drop by teaspoonfuls over the jam layer. Sprinkle with almonds.
Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 2 dozen (or one Beadle serving)
New Nametags
We had had three new nametags today. Evelyn Hunt, who has been on our prayer list for many months, joined us today with her daughter Kathy. This was quite a treat for us. Kathy is going to be bringing Evelyn to church once or twice a month. We look forward to seeing both of them. In addition, the Reverend Callum Matthews joined us again. We look forward to he and his wife joining us regularly.
Travel
Patty and George are on travel.
Chris is on travel this week.
Sick or in need of healing
Betty Cooke
Diane Chase
Muriel Pappin
Fran Dexter
Martha Stevens
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 back home with her husband Jack. Please pray for her rapid recovery.
Annie Springer had to go back in the hospital due to problems with both her kidney infection and problems stabilizing her diabetes medication. She is due to be released on Monday. The problems with her vision preclude her from driving right now. Your prayers are asked for her recovery from the infection and the stabilization of her medications, as well as improvement of her vision. In addition, please pray for strength for the Springer family. 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.
The Springer family is an inspiration to your Beadle; they should be to each of us. Mike has been working nights and Annie clearly does not feel well. Yet, they are at church almost every Sunday worshipping and learning. Mike with his always happy smile and Annie with her quiet and cheerful countenance. Emilie quickly picked up the Lending Library setting out job. Alex is right there setting up the chairs and putting out prayer books and hymnals. When the Beadle is dragging, he thinks, if the Springers can do it, so can he.
Lona Walsh (Wanda Michaelis' mother) surgery has been put off.
Miney Farrell is doing great and should be in church next week according to Greg Chase.
Lorraine Winkles is still battling the shingles. She hopes not to set records for the most persistent case. 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.
Rest in Peace
On Friday, 14 September 2007, Helen Lizak, Ben’s mom who has been in nursing care for several years, passed away. Please pray for Ben and his family as the mourn her passing and for the repose of her soul.
On Saturday, 15 September 2007, Barbara Emrich passed away. There likely will only be a memorial service at Victoria Chapel. Father Acker will provide details as available.
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.
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.
Isn't the doctrine of the trinity just the worship of three gods, rather than one God?
In a word, NO. Christians believe that the three persons of the Trinity are all one God.
Deuteronomy 6:4 states, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!"
He is a super-person, so to speak, His nature being so much more complex than our own that we cannot describe Him as a single "person." The doctrine of the trinity is perhaps the most difficult and perplexing to explain, since we are trying to describe the nature of the infinite God, which finite human beings are incapable of comprehending.
What is the trinity?
Definition: "Within the one Being that is God, the exists eternally three co-equal and co-eternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."
The term trinity describes a relationship not of three gods, but of one God who is three persons. Trinity does not mean tritheism, that is, that there are three beings who together are God, but the word trinity is used in an effort to define the fullness of the Godhead both in terms of His unity and diversity.
The term trinity is never used explicitly in Scripture, but the concept is there from the beginning and specific passages such as Matthew 28:19, "baptizing them in the name [singular] of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit", refer explicitly to there being three "persons". All three persons of the trinity make an appearance at Jesus's baptism, as recorded in Mark 1:10-11, "As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" The "he" who saw this may be either Jesus or John the Baptist, who later testified about this event (John 1:32-34).
The church has rejected from the beginning heresies of modalism and tritheism.
Modalism is the denial of the distinction of persons within the Godhead, claiming that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are simply three "modes" of God expressing Himself.
Tritheism reaches to the other extreme, that of falsely declaring that there are three beings who together make up God. The term "person" does not mean a distinction in essence, but a difference in subsistence. Jesus is different in subsistence from the Father or the Holy Spirit, but he is the same essence in terms of being. The Christian definition of God asserts that the three persons of the Godhead share the same essence, the same co-eternal existence, and the same will, but not the same mind, the same position, the same role, or the same relationship. All the persons in the Godhead have all the attributes of deity.
For example, in the Torah, Moses asks God who is sending him and God replies: "I am that I am" (Exodus 3:14). Jesus lays claim to this same statement throughout the New Testament, most noticeably in John 8:58 "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am'" This is the same "I am" as stated in the Exodus passage. In John 10:30 Jesus explicitly states, "I and the Father are one." In Mark 12:35-37, Jesus lays claim to His deity, tying together both the Hebrew Scriptures (Psalm 110:1) and the New Testament. Lastly, there is the simple fact that Jesus was executed for claiming equality with God and he did not once deny the claim before his accusers (Mark 14:62 "Jesus said, 'I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.'") The Holy Spirit's role, while active throughout creation (Gen. 1:2) and in the Hebrew Scriptures (Judges 3:10, 13:25, 1 Samuel 16:13), has the specific role to live in the hearts of Christians after Jesus departed the Earth (Mark 13:11 "for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit", Acts 2). Throughout, there is an emphasis on the pre-existence of both Son and Holy Spirit. God did not at some point become three persons: the Son existed before he came to earth as Jesus, the Spirit existed before the Pentecost. God has always been the trinity: He is three persons and one God.
The trinity does not refer to "parts" of God and unfortunately human analogies fall short. True, you can point to one man who is a father, son and husband, or water in its three phases (ice, liquid and vapor). These are both modalist explanations which fail to capture the mystery of the Godhead. A more accurate but still faulty analogy may be found in ourselves, however. Human beings are composite creatures. Physically, we are trillions of cells working together to form the body, millions of neurons firing simultaneously to produce thought, two distinct hemispheres of the brain which "think" in different ways. Psychologically, we are a mess of conflicting emotions and ideas, each vying for primacy in our psyche. Spiritually, we are creatures of both soul and body, an uncomfortable mix filled with the strife between the physical and spiritual parts of our nature. Ultimately, one human person has less internal unity than the three persons of the trinity. And yet we never think of ourselves as more than one being.
The following is a traditional explanation for the roles of the three persons of God, taken from C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity:
God is a Being which contains three Persons while remaining one Being, just as a cube contains six squares while remaining one body. But as soon as I begin trying to explain how these Persons are connected, I have to use words which make it sound as if one of them was there before the others. The First Person is called the Father and the Second the Son. We say that the First begets or produces the Second; we call it begetting, not making, because what he produces is of the same kind as Himself. In that way the word Father is the only one to use. But unfortunately it suggests that He is there first--just as a human father exists before his son. But that is not so. There is no before and after about it... The Son exists because the Father exists: but there never was a time before the Father produced the Son.
We must think of the Son always, so to speak, streaming forth from the Father, like light from a lamp, or heat from a fire, or thoughts from a mind. He is the self-expression of the Father--what the Father has to say. And there never was a time when He was not saying it... All these pictures of light or heat are making it sound as if the Father and the Son are two things instead of two Persons. So that, after all, the New Testament picture of a Father and a Son turns out to be much more accurate than anything we try to substitute for it... Naturally God knows how to describe Himself much better than we know how to describe Him. He knows that Father and Son is more like the relation between the First and Second Persons than anything else we can think of. Much the most important thing to know is that it is a relation of love. The Father delights in His Son; the Son looks up to His Father...
The union between the Father and Son is such a live concrete thing that this union itself is a Person. I know this is almost inconceivable but look at it thus. You know that among human beings, when they get together in a family, or a club, or a trade union, people talk about the "spirit" of that family, or club, or trade union. They talk about its "spirit" because the individual members, when they are together, do really develop particular ways of talking and behaving, which they would not have if they were apart. It is as if a sort of communal personality came into existence. Of course, it is not a real person: it is only rather like a person. But that is just one of the difference between God and us. What grows out of the joint life of the Father and Son is a real Person, is in fact the Third of the three Persons who are God.
This third Person is called, in technical language, the Holy Ghost or the "spirit" of God. Do not be worried or surprised if you find it (or Him) rather vaguer or more shadowy in your mind than the other two... Perhaps some people might find it easier to begin with the third Person and work backward. God is love, and that love works through men--especially through the whole community of Christians. But this spirit of love is, from all eternity, a love going on between the Father and the Son.
This explanation helps to illustrate a number of things. For one, the term "Word" applied to the Son in John 1 begins to make sense when we consider the Son as the "self-expression of the Father." Perhaps more importantly, it illustrates what is meant by 1 John 4:8, which declares that "God is love." We tend to minimize this, saying it means that God is loving. But throughout the Bible, the refrain is that God loves us because His very nature is love, and it would be unlike Him not to love us. But before humans and angels, what was there to love? What besides God is eternal? Love requires an object; the word is meaningless otherwise. Love could not be part of His eternal nature if He has not had some eternal object for His love. Instead, it would be something God learned to do once He had created someone to love. Only the trinity offers an explanation of how love can be a facet of the eternal nature of God, since contained in the three persons of the trinity are the subject, object, and expression of love. The three persons of the trinity are defined primarily by the relationship shared among them.
It is hoped this helps shed some light on what the Trinity is, don't worry if you don't feel you fully understand it. Count it as amazing that, finite as we are, we mortals have been given the revelation and the insight to grasp even this much.
In short, the trinity is described by the following:
• It affirms the triunity of God.
• It is not a contradiction: God is one in essence and three in person.
• The Bible affirms both the oneness of God and the deity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• The trinity is distinguished by the work assumed by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The doctrine of the trinity sets limits of human speculation about the nature 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.
Forward in Faith, NA has fallen by the wayside. They are of no help, but at least so far no hindrance as they appear to move towards irrelevance.
Funding for the initial phase is complete.
Phase I Funding
Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity (APA) $2,000.00
Diocese of the West (APA) 3,500.00
St Michael’s by the sea, Carlsbad CA (ACN) 2,000.00
Total Cost $7,500.00
The planning phase is over, the operation is underway. Father Joseph Mai leaves Monday and Bishop Richard Boyce leaves Tuesday for Vietnam to meet and train 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.
We are pleased Father Larry Bausch informed us Holy Trinity Ocean Beach (Diocese of Argentina) will contribute at least $3,000.00 and perhaps $4,000.00 from their Mission Fund towards Phase Two of the project. Also, the American Anglican Council of San Diego (AAC) has pledged $250.00 towards Phase Two.
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 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.
New Potential Anglican Church Structure for the United States of America
As you are all well aware, with the loss of the Episcopal Church to the devil, as people noticed the water getting hotter and hotter, they got out of the pot and formed their own churches. This movement led by the people and some priests, with absolutely zero leadership exhibited by bishops of the various Episcopal iterations, resulted in the formation of a fragmented Anglican presence in the country. Given the national nature of the Anglican model, this has presented a problem. In addition, it has adversely affected our once clear “brand recognition”, greatly impacting our ability to “Spread the Word.” People did not know what to expect from each of the Anglican presences in the country.
While the “Episcopal” bishops to date had provided zero leadership, the continuing church, as it has been called, had bishops who were not afraid to lead. While there was some “turf protection”, many of the bishops were able to see the light and lead their people towards it. The continuing church has begun the coalescing needed.
In addition, there were a few “conservative” bishops in the now TEC who have been claiming to follow the Lord and “had a plan”, although they never were able to share it. They participated in “Common Cause” with the bishops of the continuing church.
With the 30 September 2007 deadline from the Worldwide Primates looming, the Common Cause bishop met in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for what would be the last time if they did not act.
In what is the miracle of the past 100 years of Anglicans in the United States, the bishops of Common Cause acted, including those conservatives of TEC. Not just talked meaningless and mindless drivel, but actually committed themselves in writing to action! They have committed to establishment of an Anglican Confederation, which should eventually form a new Anglican Church of the United States of America.
Dear readers, this is really remarkable. For the first time in 100 years, a few bishops of the TEC are leading their flocks, not wondering where they went. They have taken the first steps towards truly fulfilling their ordination vows. They have put the Word ahead of the World and broken with the collegial traditions of the bishopric. They are to be congratulated.
Father Acker’s News Flash follows:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Although it will take some time for us to adjust, we have a new structure for faithful Anglicans. The 51 Bishops representing over 600 congregations have come together to move forward for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can read the full story here:
http://www.acn-us.org/archive/2007/09/anglican-bishops-take-first-steps-to-new-structure.html
While not all the details are worked out, it is clear that we work together presenting the faith once delivered to the saints. We must be about our mission of making Jesus Christ known. I think we can expect leading primates of the Anglican Communion to give formal recognition of the new structure over the coming weeks. The worldwide community of Anglicans is now looking for us to demonstrate faithful gospel witness and mission. We must live as faithful disciples, individually, as congregations, regional federations of parishes, and in our constituent Partner organizations (ours being the Anglican Province of America).
I hope you will rejoice not only in thanksgiving, but rejoicing in word and action to make the love of Jesus known in the lives around you. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday morning!
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
7 October 2007 Alex Boyd
14 October 2007 Greg Chase
21 October 2007 Holly Lizak
28 October 2007 Ben Lizak
Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. The pre-service class is back. Father Acker is going to be taking up Death from the Christian Perspective. No one wants to talk about dying, even less to they want to die. Yet, the one condition of coming into this world is that we must leave. Death has no hold over a Christian, death is not to be feared. Through Christ we conquer death. This is going to be an interesting class series. Your Beadle thinks you will find it far more comforting and enjoyable than you think. 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
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