AOC Sunday Report - The Sunday after Ascension Day

 

Happy Sunday after Ascension Day.

The AOC Sunday Report can be viewed RIGHT HERE!  The report also covers Ascension Day and Memorial Day.

We have wonderful sermons from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  Rev Jack's sermon can also be viewed on video RIGHT HERE.

As any regular reader is aware, we always have a lot of people who would like your prayer.  Today is no exception.  Please take a little time, start with Tricia, Lourie, Mary Lou, Jim, Laurie, Shamu, Obra and work out from there.

Given the Ascension is about Jesus' return to heaven so that the Holy Ghost might come to earth, as might be expected the Gospel is about Jesus sending the Holy Ghost and His purpose here on earth.  Which brings us to the suggestion that if you cannot see any good in the world and cannot see your way clear to our eventual goal, eternal life in Heaven, consider opening your heart to that Third God Guy, the Holy Ghost.

There is a great week ahead.  Rev Jack, Dru and I will be traveling to Austin, Texas for a reunion of the 91 Tactical Fighter Squadron from Thursday until Sunday, we will hold Sunday services in Austin, so may be there will be a few new attendees.  I can assure you the Sunday Report will be late next week.  Apologies in advance.

Have an EPIC WEEK.

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America

Ascension 01 Collect - King of Glory – 29 May 2022, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

The Sunday after Ascension Day.

The Collect.

 

O

 GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us un-to the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

 

King of Glory

            The Collect for this day implores the mercies of God to grant the comforting and efficacious ministry of the Holy Ghost upon His people with the passing of His only Begotten Son to the Throne of Glory with the Father. It comports well with the Lectionary Readings of the day in imparting the Will of God in sending His Holy Ghost to be our Teacher, Comforter, and Companion in bringing us into ever greater Light in Christ. There is more meaning hidden between the lines of the Collect than appears overtly to our eyes at first glance.

 

            This Collect is a composition of Archbishop Cranmer and was based upon an antiphonal declaration for Ascension tide of the English Church. O GOD, the King of Glory….. and who is the King of Glory? Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. (Psalm 24:10) If we petition the highest Authority for our needs and grievances, His decree will override every power on earth. His Kingdom is not limited to boundaries or realms, but to the realm of Glory encompassing all things. God has given all kingdoms into the hands of His Beloved Son: “O GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven.” First of all, Christ has been exalted above every kingdom and, secondly, He has won the final triumph over death, wickedness, and the Accuser of His people. 

 

            God is forever with us now as was manifested in the Emmanuel of Jesus Christ. The Holy of Holies is now accessible, through Jesus Christ, to all who believe on His Name. That is an ever-present benefit to the people of God and not one reserved for any mediator other than the Lord Jesus Christ! No more must the high priest of the Temple be summoned to carry forth our sacrificial offerings to God, but the High Priest Himself – a priest above every other – has become our once and for all offering and has ripped the Temple Veil from top to bottom. Is that not a joyous observation? That same High Priest is present forever at the right Hand of God the Father, and not seasonally as in time past.  He is forever interceding for those who pray in His beloved Name.  His Ascension into Heaven did not leave us without an Emmanuel – rather, He has sent His Holy Ghost to be ever present among the people of God. That is an inestimable Comfort, is it not? We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless I fail to see the point of this latter petition since Christ has already promised and sent that Comforter – except to reassure us of the reality of that promise and fact.  Christ told us that He must go to be with the Father, but that He would surely send the Comforter to guide, teach, and direct our souls in all those things of which Christ spoke. The Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself, but only point to Christ, and Him crucified.

 

            I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.  (John 14:16-17) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26) Now has Christ ascended and He has sent the Holy Ghost who, not being confined to a physical body, can be at all places and at all times where the people of God make their appeals. He opens the mind of the simple to the deeper truths of the Gospel which the proud seminarian may never grasp. Is it not amazing?  “…send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Jesus has promised the faithful that we may be where He is if we persevere until the end.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)

 

            The world is a turbulent sea wrought with stormy gales and monstrous billows, but we have a Sea Captain at the helm of our souls who is also the Master of the Sea. The old hymn by Mr. James Rowe (1912) says it well:

 

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,

But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Refrain

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me!

 

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling

In His blessèd presence live, ever His praises sing,

Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,

Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs.

Refrain

 

Souls in danger look above, Jesus completely saves,

He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.

He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,

He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

Refrain

 

Let us fix our hearts on the King Above and He will see us through every trial and tribulation.

The Sunday after Ascension Day

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

Rev Jack’s sermon can be viewed on video RIGHT HERE!

 

Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above. 

Once again the propers for this week come together very well, their focus is narrow, thus powerful.

 

Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before …

 

In some ways, today is no different than the very First Sunday after the Ascension.  Jesus has ascended in to heaven, we are alone and physically separated from God who gives us the strength we need to do His Will.  Like Peter and the other apostles, the further we are from God, the weaker we are.  Thus, we are looking towards Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Ghost who will strengthen our connection to God. 

 

We ask for God’s help we might have the true belief, courage, knowledge and strength to follow Jesus to heaven for all eternity.  That help is on the way in the form of the Holy Ghost.  On the other hand, it is different today than two thousand years ago.  We actually have the real presence of the Holy Ghost, here and now.  He does not ebb and flow with the liturgical year; where would we be if He did? He is a constant presence within our lives. We just have to acknowledge Him and follow the advice that He gives and all will be well with our souls.

                                                                                   

The end of the earth and this world may come at any time, indeed for 313,000 people each day, their time here is up.  Thus, in a very real sense as Saint Peter put it, “The end of all things is at hand…”  He counsels us to live each day as if it were going to be our last. Thus, we should act as if it was our last day on earth and do our jobs with smiles on our faces knowing our eternal destination is secure as long as we do our best to follow Him.  This puts things into perspective for us and should make us more mindful of what we need to do to follow Him.

 

Jesus left us so that the Holy Ghost could come down and dwell amongst us and in us to provide us with the guidance we need to follow God. Without Jesus leaving, the Holy Ghost could not come down and dwell amongst us. With Jesus’s departure, the Holy Ghost was free to descend and enter into our hearts, souls and minds upon invitation. 

 

In order to get the guidance from the Holy Ghost, we have to wait and hear what  He  has to say before we act. Then once that Holy Spirit has given the answer, we must act upon the answer. This is a continuous cycle and we must always prioritize our work to be for God, our Country, Family, friends and co-workers in that order and things will fall in line. Along these lines, we must strive to work hard, take care of those who cannot and be good stewards of the considerable grace God has given us.  This does not just refer to spending MONEY, but rather to giving of our time and effort to bring the Gifts of God to others. We are called not to hoard love, but to spread it throughout our travels. For as love is of God, then it follows there is an infinite supply of love.  In fact, love multiplies with use, so there is more than infinite amount of love out there.

 

For as Saint Peter says in his Epistle this morning, charity (love) truly does cover a multitude of sins. So, when we do things for others, the driving force behind our actions should be that of charity, or love, for our fellow human beings and not any self-seeking motivation. Charity will cover for our multitude of sins, but we need to be thinking how we can help others. It is the greatest of gifts God and the Holy Ghost gives to us; a gift we find ourselves needing to use more often. The Holy Ghost is key in giving us the desirable thoughts and attributes that we need to carry out His Plan on Earth. He also helps us deal with our less desirable thoughts and attributes and helps us deal with very difficult people and situations. Turning to the Holy Spirit in those very stressful times will reduce the burden on your heart and shift it from you to God, giving you the clarity you need to act for Him, to be able to act in an effective and Christ like manner.

 

The Gospel’s take away is without the Holy Ghost’s presence in our hearts, the needed action on our part is impossible.. This explains why those who do not follow Christ cannot comprehend the strength and value of the Good News and Jesus’s death and resurrection. They do not have the wisdom to understand because they refuse to let the Holy Ghost into our hearts. The Holy Ghost is that portion of God who can enter our hearts bringing the needed spiritual resources to help us win the spiritual battle here on Earth.  Those who will not have Him in their hearts can never understand God and His Will.  That is why they cannot understand or fathom the plan He has for us. They cannot understand why we follow God and Christ. They do not believe; therefore, they cannot have Him in their hearts, and therefore they will not understand. 

 

The end of time is nearer each day than the day before, of that we can be certain.  But there is a certainty we have in this uncertainly world, the unfailing love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus and the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives, if we let Him in, and the inerrant Holy Scriptures to guide us throughout the rest of our lives. With this knowledge of an unchanging standard, we can stand fast by this standard and be content knowing we are following the One True Triune God, and though we may physically suffer a while, it is nothing to enjoying eternity with God. This is an advantage that us believers have over non believers is that unwavering certainty of our final destination once we have ran our race for Him here and departed this life.

 

The current world climate, even in this country, is less hospitable than in centuries to Christians.  There is a reason for this which only God understands and not us. God has a plan for all of this.  And in the end God’s plans always work out, even if we do not understand it at the time. We just have to trust in God and do our part to follow Him and do our part to follow His Plan.   In time, we will realize what the plan is. But for now, we are unaware of His plan in the greater scheme of things. But what it is doing is solidifying the faith of true believers around the globe, forming the Army of Light together, ready to battle against the malicious forces of Satan. We cannot make this journey alone.  We must have the close and continuous presence of God.  That presence is the Holy Ghost.  That is why He is here.

 

Pray for His continual presence in your heart.

 

Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

 

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

 

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

The Sunday after Ascension Day - Propers with explanation – Rev Jack’s Sermon

The Propers for today are found on Page 179-180, with the Collect first:

 

The Sunday after Ascension Day.

The Collect.

 

O

 GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us un-to the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

 

The Collect for Ascension Day, found on Page 177, is also read due to the rubric:

 

The Collect for The Ascension Day.

The Collect.

 

G

RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.

 

 

This morning’s Epistle is written in the Fourth Chapter of the First Epistle of Saint Peter beginning at the Seventh Verse.  Peter reminds us of the shortness of our lives, the eternity of the next world and implores us to live as if we were eternal now, not wait until we die. For then, eternity will be a bit late. 

 

T

HE end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.  Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Today’s Holy Gospel came from the Fifteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John beginning at the Twenty-Sixth Verse.  The Gospel talks about the origin of the Holy Ghost and the reason for which He is being sent.  It also foretells the enmity that Christians will find from those of this world who do not share their understanding of God and His Will: 

 

W

HEN 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. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.

 

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

Rev Jack’s sermon can be viewed on video right here -> https://youtu.be/CyxLA42IpNA

 

Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above. 

 

Once again the propers for this week come together very well, their focus is narrow, thus powerful.

 

Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before …

 

In some ways, today is no different than the very First Sunday after the Ascension.  Jesus has ascended in to heaven, we are alone and physically separated from God who gives us the strength we need to do His Will.  Like Peter and the other apostles, the further we are from God, the weaker we are.  Thus, we are looking towards Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Ghost who will strengthen our connection to God. 

 

We ask for God’s help we might have the true belief, courage, knowledge and strength to follow Jesus to heaven for all eternity.  That help is on the way in the form of the Holy Ghost.  On the other hand, it is different today than two thousand years ago.  We actually have the real presence of the Holy Ghost, here and now.  He does not ebb and flow with the liturgical year; where would we be if He did? He is a constant presence within our lives. We just have to acknowledge Him and follow the advice that He gives and all will be well with our souls.

                                                                                   

The end of the earth and this world may come at any time, indeed for 313,000 people each day, their time here is up.  Thus, in a very real sense as Saint Peter put it, “The end of all things is at hand…”  He counsels us to live each day as if it were going to be our last. Thus, we should act as if it was our last day on earth and do our jobs with smiles on our faces knowing our eternal destination is secure as long as we do our best to follow Him.  This puts things into perspective for us and should make us more mindful of what we need to do to follow Him.

 

Jesus left us so that the Holy Ghost could come down and dwell amongst us and in us to provide us with the guidance we need to follow God. Without Jesus leaving, the Holy Ghost could not come down and dwell amongst us. With Jesus’s departure, the Holy Ghost was free to descend and enter into our hearts, souls and minds upon invitation. 

 

In order to get the guidance from the Holy Ghost, we have to wait and hear what  He  has to say before we act. Then once that Holy Spirit has given the answer, we must act upon the answer. This is a continuous cycle and we must always prioritize our work to be for God, our Country, Family, friends and co-workers in that order and things will fall in line. Along these lines, we must strive to work hard, take care of those who cannot and be good stewards of the considerable grace God has given us.  This does not just refer to spending MONEY, but rather to giving of our time and effort to bring the Gifts of God to others. We are called not to hoard love, but to spread it throughout our travels. For as love is of God, then it follows there is an infinite supply of love.  In fact, love multiplies with use, so there is more than infinite amount of love out there.

 

For as Saint Peter says in his Epistle this morning, charity (love) truly does cover a multitude of sins. So, when we do things for others, the driving force behind our actions should be that of charity, or love, for our fellow human beings and not any self-seeking motivation. Charity will cover for our multitude of sins, but we need to be thinking how we can help others. It is the greatest of gifts God and the Holy Ghost gives to us; a gift we find ourselves needing to use more often. The Holy Ghost is key in giving us the desirable thoughts and attributes that we need to carry out His Plan on Earth. He also helps us deal with our less desirable thoughts and attributes and helps us deal with very difficult people and situations. Turning to the Holy Spirit in those very stressful times will reduce the burden on your heart and shift it from you to God, giving you the clarity you need to act for Him, to be able to act in an effective and Christ like manner.

 

The Gospel’s take away is without the Holy Ghost’s presence in our hearts, the needed action on our part is impossible.. This explains why those who do not follow Christ cannot comprehend the strength and value of the Good News and Jesus’s death and resurrection. They do not have the wisdom to understand because they refuse to let the Holy Ghost into our hearts. The Holy Ghost is that portion of God who can enter our hearts bringing the needed spiritual resources to help us win the spiritual battle here on Earth.  Those who will not have Him in their hearts can never understand God and His Will.  That is why they cannot understand or fathom the plan He has for us. They cannot understand why we follow God and Christ. They do not believe; therefore, they cannot have Him in their hearts, and therefore they will not understand. 

 

The end of time is nearer each day than the day before, of that we can be certain.  But there is a certainty we have in this uncertainly world, the unfailing love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus and the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives, if we let Him in, and the inerrant Holy Scriptures to guide us throughout the rest of our lives. With this knowledge of an unchanging standard, we can stand fast by this standard and be content knowing we are following the One True Triune God, and though we may physically suffer a while, it is nothing to enjoying eternity with God. This is an advantage that us believers have over non believers is that unwavering certainty of our final destination once we have ran our race for Him here and departed this life.

 

The current world climate, even in this country, is less hospitable than in centuries to Christians.  There is a reason for this which only God understands and not us. God has a plan for all of this.  And in the end God’s plans always work out, even if we do not understand it at the time. We just have to trust in God and do our part to follow Him and do our part to follow His Plan.   In time, we will realize what the plan is. But for now, we are unaware of His plan in the greater scheme of things. But what it is doing is solidifying the faith of true believers around the globe, forming the Army of Light together, ready to battle against the malicious forces of Satan. We cannot make this journey alone.  We must have the close and continuous presence of God.  That presence is the Holy Ghost.  That is why He is here.

 

Pray for His continual presence in your heart.

 

Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

 

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

 

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

A Memorial Day Story – 30 May 2022, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

Bishop Jerry in an earlier life, when he was flying a CH-37B

 

W

HEN the day that he must go hence was come, many accompanied him to the riverside, into which as he went he said, ‘Death where is they sting?’ and as he went down deeper, he said ‘Grave, where is thy victory?’ so, he passed over, and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side. John Bunyan. Pilgrim’s Progress

 

The day dawned this morning in southern Alabama with a veil of fog hanging in the air lending solemnity to an otherwise humid and routine sunrise. As I have done so many times over the last few years, I drove past the residence of an old friend of more than 54 years. He and I had many experiences together in the military. Brian was a former Marine who joined the Army in order to attend flight school, but he never got over being a Marine. He had a high sense of duty and service.

 

There was a time when Brian and his crew went down in the Taean Peninsula of Korea. The resultant crash was not pilot-error, but a failure of one engine at a critical point during landing. Brian was calm and cool as always, but the huge CH-37B[1] was quickly consumed in fire (about three minutes total) due to the zinc and magnesium metallic components. Thanks to Brian’s accomplished touch on the controls, there were no injuries to his crew of five.

 

Brian spent two tours in Vietnam and was an unshakeable officer and pilot. 

 

As I drove by his house today, I noticed the grass was overgrown and no evidence of life. I had noticed the neglect of the lawn for several weeks. This time, I stopped to inquire of neighbors and, sure enough, Brian had passed to the Mansions of the Lord recently. He had suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for the last years of his life, and he did not want old friends to see him in such condition. His lovely Japanese wife whom he met in his youth at Iwakuni, Japan, preceded him in death by months – a victim of dementia.

 

Brian was a soldier who laid his life on the line without hesitation to defend the ideals and values of the United States. The loss of such a man is incredibly painful for those who love our United States. Such a man should not spend his last days in utter isolation, but Brian was a proud man whose uniform was always impeccable and his bearing sharp and impressive. He felt less of the man he once was as his emaciated body was tortured by his health condition.

 

But Brian is no less a patriotic and devoted soldier in his last days than when he was fighting in the jungles of Vietnam. Such men must be remembered. No, he did not fall in battle to the enemy of the United States, but he succumbed to a greater enemy with which all mankind must reckon at the dimming of the Light. 

 

Brian was much like my younger brother, Ken, who did indeed die in combat. Both gave their all, and both deserve the accolades of a grateful nation. Brian gave just as much as my brother because he was courageous to risk his life in battle for his country.

 

There are thousands of Brian’s and Ken’s that should be remembered by all Americans who cherish the blessings of freedom and liberty purchased by the blood of patriots. Do we simply go through the moves and formalities on Memorial Day without truly considering the fact that our liberties are watered by the blood of valorous men and women who were willing and able to serve in places we might want to avoid?

 

It is right and proper that we should remember with unrestrained gratitude such heroes of our company. “And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.” (Zechariah 9:16)

 

Men of valor, the trumpet you hear is not taps, but reveille!

 

‘Semper Fi’ to Brian, and ‘Follow Me’ Ken – both of whom repose under that starry banner under which they served.

 

---

[1] The largest helicopter in the world at the time, it was one of the last powered by gasoline fueled engines, in this case Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engines running on 145/175 Octane aviation fuel, much more prone to fire and failure than the later jet fuel powered turboshaft engines.

The Mysterious Cloud, the Ascension of Christ – 26 May 2022, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

A

ND when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:9-11)

 

            How often have the imaginations of youth been tantalized by the cloud formations of a beautiful day! There is much to stir the imagination of the Bible scholar as well when he considers the many references to the cloud. One of the very important references occurs in the new world of Noah and the covenant God made with him and his descendants: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. (Genesis 9:13-16)  What a strong Presence of God and His promises has since appeared at the dimming of the storm! God does, indeed, ride upon the wings of the storm and His watchful eye is on the sparrow as well. WE know God has made that bow in the clouds to lighten our heart with faith.

 

            That Cloud-Presence is even more strongly revealed in the exodus of the Children of Israel out of the Land of Bondage, out of Goshen in Egypt. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. (Exodus 13:21-22)

 

            We have a perfect example in that Pillar of Cloud how the Lord leads His people out of bondage and sin.. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

 

            The Lord not only goes before in the Pillar of Cloud, but also follows hard on in that same Pillar. He both leads and follows His children in all toils and dangers. God gives light to His people, but He brings darkness upon those who embrace darkness in their ways. 19 ¶And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. (Exodus 14:19-20)  Even so, the wicked Pharaoh continued pursuit in spite of the signs and miracles he had observed of God in parting the sea and sending the cloud. So God worked a further miracle right from His Cloud:  23 ¶And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. * 26 ¶And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. As you can see, there is great power in the cloud when God is present. God was in the CLOUD!

 

            We next see the cloud that separated Christ from the Law and the Prophets on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus was seen in glorified form with Moses (Law) and Elijah (Prophets). When the disciples wanted to make a tabernacle for each, the cloud descended and the voice of God was heard: This is my beloved Son: hear him. The cloud lifted revealing only Christ who is the Lord of the Cloud.

 

            In the next case, we find Christ at His ascension. As revealed in Acts 1:9-11, a cloud received Him. The two great angels told the disciples: Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

 

            Here is good news that we may hang our hats upon:  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

AOC Sunday Report - Fifth Sunday after Easter commonly called Rogation Sunday

Happy Fifth Sunday after Easter, which is commonly called Rogation Sunday.

The AOC Sunday Report is RIGHT HERE!

What is Rogation Sunday?  So glad you asked.

Rogation Sunday

 

The fifth Sunday after Easter is commonly called Rogation Sunday from the words in the Gospel appointed for the day: "Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give to you". (The Latin is 'Rogare' - to ask.)  In the strictly biblical context, the chief thing to ask for is the spirit of God to enable us to be true children of God.  

 

In the Western Catholic Churches, including the older Anglican traditions particularly before the Reformation and in some higher churches afterwards, processions to bless the crops and to include "beating the bounds", developed from the old Roman rites of "Robigalia" ("robigo": Latin for "rust" or "mould"), when prayers would be offered to the deity for crops to be spared from mildew. 

 

Today the emphasis has shifted.  Asking for God’s blessing on growing crops in fields and gardens, and on young lambs and calves remain.  In the agricultural cycle, the main themes are seed sowing and the tending of the young plants and animals. This does not pre-suppose that all sowing takes place around Rogation.  Sowing is done all the year round, as does the birth and rearing of the young.  It is convenient to fix on one particular festival the time to remember these before God in a public way.

 

In the Northern Hemisphere, Rogation Sunday takes place in the springtime, when there is a renewing of the earth. In this country, it follows Easter, the season of resurrection. Renewal and resurrection therefore are also underlying themes of this occasion.

 

But, there is far more to the day than that.  The real meaning is in rogare.  If you don’t ask, you won’t get.  You have to ask God in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for what you want so that you can get what you need.  You have to ask.  Then, once you get what you need, act of the gift and thank God for that gift.

 

The main thing to remember is “Ask and ye shall receive.”  For, if you do not ask, you cannot receive.

Today we have great sermons from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  They are each quite good in their own styles.  You should enjoy them. Rev Jack's is available on video RIGHT HERE.

There are always a lot of people who need your prayer, today is not the exception to that rule.  Please take a little time out of your day or week to pray; start with Tricia, Shamu, Obra, Jim, Mary Lou and Laurie, work out from there.

There is a great week ahead, if you are having trouble seeing it, consider letting the Holy Ghost deeper into your soul.  He will shine a light bright enough for you to see through the darkest of times.

Have a super week!

Godspeed,

Hap
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
United States of America

Sermon Notes - Rogation Sunday - Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide - 22 May 2022, Anno Domini

  

The Collect for The Fifth Sunday after Easter, 

commonly called Rogation Sunday.

 

The Collect.

 

O

 LORD, from whom all good things do come; Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

 

V

ERILY, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.   (John 16:23-33)

  

The Sermon Notes

And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Christ must go to be with His Father. We can not ask Him anything during this separation except of the Father in the name of Christ.

 

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 

Now, we are entitled to ask for all things in Christ’s name. Why? Because He has paid the price. He has completed the redemption. He has given us a Power of Attorney to execute His work and will by His authority. But the responsibility attending the Power of Attorney is always to act, not in our own interest, but in the interst of Him who grants that Power of Attorney.

 

That is why we always ask for the things that it is the Lord’s will to grant to us. “Thy will be done…”

 

These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit, we are made to understand the parables and proverbs of Jesus through a mysterious working in our hearts.

 

At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: ²⁷ For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 

A very loving comment here by Jesus telling us it is not even necessary for Him to intercede on our behalf always, because the Father has received us as His own Sons and Daughters – a heritage we share with His only Begotten Son. The Father loves us so much, that Christ need not remind Him of that love.

 

     ²⁸ I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. ²⁹ His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. ³⁰ Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. ³¹ Jesus answered them,

They believe they now understand, but are totally devoid of the great drama about to unfold.   They believe that Christ will be lifted up to the Father perhaps as Elijah, in a grand chariot. They cannot conceive that He will be tortured and abused, and murdered, for them. They do not understand the NEED for this. Now we do, indeed, understand that a worthy sacrifice was required to redeem us of our sins.

 

Do ye now believe? (You believe that you know, but you know nothing as of yet. Look at what follows) ³² Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: (Even the courageous Peter, along with all the other disciples, shall hide and flee from the company of Jesus) and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.(When evil threatens our faith, we, too, are not alone. The Father is always with His own.)  ³³ These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. (To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Jesus is telling us these things that we may understand when men revile us and despise us for our faith)  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (Here is the patience of the saints. Though the cannons roar to right and left of our lines, the Color Bearer (not behind, or hesitant) is out front leading us against the Archenemy of the souls of men.) A good leader will never ask his subordinates to perform a role which He, Himself, has not done, and is not willing to do.

 

The King Omnipotent has won the Battle aforetime. He has overcome. We must rest in that certainty and proceed from victory to victory under the Ensign of Christ. We have already won despite the world’s perception. 

 

Live thusly!