191201 AOC Sunday Report

Anglican Orthodox Church
Worldwide Communion
First Sunday in Advent
Sunday Report

Today was the First Sunday in Advent. This is the first day of the new “liturgical year” , a New Year’s Day, so to speak.

On Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come from? The answer is from the people who uttered them. But, how did you find them? Oh, that. Some from Bishop Jerry, many from Rev Bryan Dabney, Doug Witherspoon, a few from other places, but overall mostly from Bryan. He always has some great ones to share. On to the On Point quotes –

Thousands of ordained men in the present day know nothing whatever of Christ, except his name. They have not entered the door themselves, and they are unable to show it to others. Well would it be for Christendom if it were more widely known, and more seriously considered! Unconverted ministers are the dry-rot of the Church. When the blind lead the blind both must fall in the ditch. If we know the value of a man’s ministry, we must never fail to ask, Where is the Lamb? Where is the door? Does he bring forth Christ, and give Him his rightful place?
JC Ryle
19th century Anglican bishop and author

A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.
Winston Churchill

For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour: if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
Jeremiah 7:5-7

… God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
Matthew 22:32

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mark 10:25

Propers
Each Sunday there are Propers: special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding.

The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.

The propers are the same each year, except if a Red Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saints instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent.

Today, the propers for today can be found on Page 90-92:

The First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

The Epistle for today comes from Paul’s letter to the Romans, starting at the Eight Verse of the Thirteenth Chapter. Paul tells us to be self sufficient, but love and care for one another, do not commit adultery, do not murder, steal or lie. But more than that, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” For, if you love your neighbor, you will do no ill to him. “Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” We need to do this today, because the time of “our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” We hear often “The end of the world is near.” And it may well be. But for each of us, this world’s end comes when we leave for the next. Have we treated our fellow beings as Jesus commanded us in God’s name? Because in the answer to that is hidden the key to our next life.

O
WE no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Today’s Holy Gospel came from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, the Twenty-First Chapter, beginning at the First Verse. It is the story of Palm Sunday when Jesus came triumphant into Jerusalem. Jesus sent “two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” This was done that the prophecy of years gone past might be fulfilled of a triumphant entry of the Messiah into Jerusalem. The people expecting a Prince of this World, “spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest, And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” Rather than assuming the crown of this world, “Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

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HEN they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the higheAnd when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

THE EXHORTATIONS.
¶ At the time of the Celebration of the Communion, after the prayer for the whole state of Christ’s Church, the Priest may say this Exhortation. And Note, That the Exhortation shall be said on the First Sunday in Advent, the First Sunday in Lent, and Trinity Sunday.

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EARLY beloved in the Lord, ye who mind to come to the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, must consider how Saint Paul exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves, before they presume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament; so is the danger great, if we receive the same unworthily. Judge therefore your- selves, brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord; repent you truly for your sins past; have a lively and stedfast faith in Christ our Saviour; amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men; so shall ye be meet partakers of those holy mysteries. And above all things ye must give most humble and hearty thanks to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ, both God and man; who did humble himself, even to the death upon the Cross, for us, miserable sinners, who lay in darkness and the shadow of death; that he might make us the children of God, and exalt us to everlasting life. And to the end that we should always remember the exceeding great love of our Master, and only Saviour, Jesus Christ, thus dying for us, and the innumerable benefits which by his precious blood-shedding he hath obtained for us; he hath instituted and ordained holy mysteries, as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless com- fort. To him therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, let us give, as we are most bounden, continual thanks; submitting ourselves wholly to his holy will and pleasure, and studying to serve him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Amen.

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes. Today is one of those Sundays. Today’s sermon starts off with the collect, and like always, it will give you a lot to consider in your heart.

Sermon Notes
First Sunday in Advent
The Gospel as a Rosebud Unfolding
Saint Andrews Anglican Church – Enterprise, Alabama
1 December 2019, Anno Domini

The First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.

¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

Comment on the Collect:
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. (Matt 4:16)

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (Psalm 1:1)

What a joyous time of the church Year! In reality, Advent is much like a pre-Christmas celebration. But Advent, like Christmas, has a double, or even triple, application. Adventum Domini (the Latin term for this Season) was originally intended to commemorate the fullness of the Christmas incarnation of Christ, since Christ literally ‘came at Christmas in the form of a man-child.’ The Sundays before the Nativity were originally called simply the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, et al. Sunday before the Nativity of Christ. But where the double or triple meaning of Advent? Christ came from eternity past to save us. He came to Abraham in pre-Incarnate form, and to others of the Old Testament Church, and He comes to us visibly in that Church of the New Testament. They were saved by faith in looking (with spiritual eyes) to the redemption which would be made available in Christ at His first Incarnation at Bethlehem. But that pre-Incarnate advent was not the only advent of Christ. Christmas was surely the most spectacular Advent of all up until now. But Christ made an advent into your heart at the moment of your election in God, and He will come with great power and judgment at His final Advent as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Advent and Christmas Season is very like that outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace received at Baptism and Holy Communion. It is a season of joy and warmth.

In the dim past of the Church Fathers, the Church year did not begin with Advent or Christmas, but with Easter. This date would be more consistent with the Old Testament New Year still observed by the Jews and even the Moslems. It is the time of Passover and freedom, and it is also the time of the Resurrection of Christ and the New Spiritual Creation of Salvation. In Iran, while we lived there, that day was called No Rooz (New Years). It is also the day of Noah’s Ark landing on Ararat to begin the new physical creation.

But there is strong purpose also in beginning the Church Year with Advent, for without the Advent of Christ, there would have been no Easter. The birth of Christ is commemorated all over the world by their calendar date of 2019 Anno Domini (whether they wish to acknowledge that birth 2,000 years ago, or not). This Collect was composed by Cranmer in 1549.

It is such an inspiration for me to study the Scriptures and discover the unchanging love and Providence of God throughout His Word. He truly is the same yesterday, today and forever! You may look at the Scriptural references provided at the beginning of this devotion and believe the first two to say exactly the same thing, but they are different in a certain manner. Can you read those two verses from Isaiah and Matthew and discover the main difference in them? And what does the first verse, of the first Psalm, have to do with these two verses? If you read that first verse of Psalm 1, you will immediately discover the difference between Matthew 4:16 and John 8:12. The difference is one of POSITION! From the Fall of Adam, eastward in Eden, the heart of man has grown progressively Godless. There have been periods of revival and reform, but these are only punctuations along a path of downward decline ….until the birth of Christ!

The people of the Old Testament of Isaiah’s time were walking a very dark path. They were headed for ruin. Isaiah warned them to no avail. They continued their ungodly walk until, like Lot in Sodom, they sat down and made their home in sin. Blessed is the man that WALKETH not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor SITTETH in the seat of the scornful. On their WALK toward sin(in Isaiah), the nation was taken away in bondage and stood with the sinners of Babylon, God sent them back to rebuild the fallen walls of Jerusalem and the Temple, yet they still sinned and finally, at the time of Christ, had made themselves at home in hypocrisy, sin, and deceit. They were sitting among the occupying power as at home with them. Christ came in the FULLNESS of time to redeem a world of profligate sinners. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal 4:4-5) The Advent of Christ, in bodily form, came at the very moment of our greatest need for mercy- the very fullness of God’s timing.

1st line of the Collect: ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light – A wonderful and meaningful petition for an unmerited righteousness that comes simply by the grace of God. What does this mean? It means that we cannot EARN salvation by righteousness for we are NOT righteous. The only righteousness we can lay claim to is that righteousness of Christ – and that righteousness is not innate but imputed. Light ALWAYS dispels darkness for darkness lacks any properties of force against light – it must flee from a single lit candle. Pray tell, how does darkness even approach that armor of light. Can the deep ark f winter penetrate the light of a single street light? Light is the very best armor against darkness and its Prince.

…….now in the time of this mortal life. If we go not into that dark night of death without the light, we shall not find it in the grave. We must carry the light as a torch to uphold our souls in the resurrection. Like the five hapless virgins, of the ten, who had not oil for their lamps, we cannot purchase that oil in death. Now is the hour for salvation while life remains!

…..in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility. Yes the Incarnation of Christ was humble and without fanfare, yet His birth was greeted by Choirs of Angels on the hills overlooking Bethlehem, and visitation of kings and wise men. He lay in a bed made of the same wood upon which He would later be crucified! He came to be unjustly judged of Rome at the instigation of His own people.

…..that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. At the Second Advent, Christ does not come as a little child in a humble manger. Instead of coming in a crude wooden manger, the fruit of the earth, He shall come in the grandeur of the skies, and that sky shall be filled with the hosts of Heaven. He comes as a Judge and a Rewarded of His people. Who are the quick and the dead? Quick, as used here, means the living! The dead are not necessarily only those who sleep in the dust, but sleep in their fleshly bodies and walk about as sinners. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Eph 2:1,4-5) Did you earn that grace, or was it a gift of God? Don’t be caught walking around ‘dead’ on that second Advent! Will you?

The Holy Gospel
Luke 1:5-25

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HERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, 9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.  15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

The Gospel, and, in fact, the entire Bible, is like a beautiful rosebud unfolding before the eyes of the beholder. Petal by petal reveals more of the inherent beauty and fragrance of the rose (and of the Scriptures). Christ is featured from the beginning verse of Genesis to the final verse of Revelations. He is typified by the innocent animal whose life God took to provide skins to cover the nakedness (sin) of our first parents; the Ark also is a type of Christ into which God called Noah, his family, and the elect animals; Isaac foreshadowed, in both his miraculous birth and his presumed sacrifice, the only begotten Son of God who was sacrificed from the foundation of the worlds; and, now, John the Baptist, as the herald of His coming, pictures the same eternity of God’s purpose in his own miraculous birth – a mild example of that greater miracle of the virgin conceiving and bearing a child.

ADVENT and CHRISTMAS are the most wonderful seasons of the year. The whole world seems to fall under the spell of friendly greetings and warm affection during these seasons – even those who have no earthly idea of the meaning of the two seasons, or the cause for the outpouring of near-filial love. It seems that the clouds are parted to reveal a glorious Sunrise, and that is most particularly what the season is all about – the Coming of the Light and Life of Man, our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Dayspring from on High to which the prophet, Zacharias, refers in the leading text above. Even in lands where the Gospel has received little acceptance, the Christmas décor is obvious everywhere. Unfortunately, they have learned the materialistic side of Christmas and not of the One behind the Season. The Jesus Christ of Christmas has not been learned well in the outer frontiers of Christianity, and, tragically, has been forgotten in heartlands once so bold in preaching the Gospel that men willingly surrendered their lives for the privilege of Christ.

The first great Advent morning was the beginning of days at Creation. 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Gen 1:1-2) There had existed a night of eternity on this earthen sphere until that first night in which The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. This, insofar as mortal man can comprehend, was the BEGINNING – at least the beginning of all that we can see, hear, and feel. Genesis 1 & 2 describe the first night upon the earth. But then what did God do? 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Gen 1:3-5)

We can see from this text that God began His Creation in darkness – it began with the first night. Then God, by the power of His Word, spoke Light into being upon the earth. First, there was darkness, then light! What was the source of this Light? It was not the sun, moon, or stars, for they were not created until the fourth day. God Himself was the Light. Our Lord Jesus Christ was the Master Artist who set the world to life and Light. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)

We do not often relate the Advent and Christmas story to the Gospel of John, Chapter 1, but it is the heart and soul of John’s entire Gospel. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:9-14)

Observe that the ‘evening’ and the ‘morning’ were the first day. In biblical times, and still in the computations of the Jewish religion, day begins in darkness and ends in light. So is every work of God. Can you imagine the ambient Light emanating from our Lord on that first day? There could have been NOTHING hidden from that Light. Every day of Creation began in darkness, and ended with Light. Our lives are the same.

So our Lord is the Source and Generator of Light – the Dayspring from on High. The source of energy of the Sun is tremendous and beyond our understanding, but it all descends from the Maker of Light and Life Itself. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:19)

It is true that the foreordained Will of God has been working from before the first dawn of light on a darkened world; but so has His promise of a Redeemer been steadily moving to fulfillment beyond the veil of time since eternity for He is the Lamb of God without spot or blemish sacrificed from before the Creation of the World. That Light that first shed its beams on a world without form and immersed in steep darkness is now available to be shed upon the souls of men on new mornings of personal salvation in Christ.

Just as the day breaks to the singing of birds and droplets of dew on the roses, so the Holy Singing of the Heavenly Choir resounded from the remote reaches of the Universe at the words of Zacharias as his lips echoed the prophecies of the ages: . . . . whereby the DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Light itself has peculiar qualities about which we have studied before. For one thing, Light is constant and absolute. If Einstein is correct, Light is the only absolute known to man traveling precisely at 186,000 miles per second regardless the vantage point of the observer. Light does not bend, but travels always in a straight line – a quality characteristic of its Maker, the Lord. Light reveals both beauty and danger. It reveals to us the dangers in the way, and the pleasant lanes of life that are good and wholesome to our souls. Natural light contains the seven colors in the rainbow; but joined together, white is the product. Light, like the Spirit of God, cannot be seen with the naked eye – only the objects it reveals to our eyes.

A tiny light is more powerful than a whole house of darkness. A tiny candle can disperse the darkness in the room from every corner. Sin is the tool of Satan but, like the snail, sin cannot tolerate light. The snail hurries to the shelter of a rock at the first hint of sunrise. During the cover of darkness, the snail devours the garden labors of others, but disappears with coming light. Neither can sin, or its Devil, tolerate the slightest hint of light. This is why dictators are so adamant to destroy any vestiges of free speech. But He who is in you is stronger than he who is in the world. (1 John 1:5)

The world was NOTHING until the Light of God appeared upon it. He is not only Light, but Life as well. But the Light is what gives force to our faith! 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

Before the coming of Emmanuel, men had hope and promise for Light upon which to hang their faith; but now, we have the Light itself to lighten our path. As the great old minister, Alexander MacLaren describes it: Now darkness, all the world over, is the emblem of three things — ignorance, impurity, sorrow. And all men who are rent away from Jesus Christ, or on whom His beams have not yet fallen, this text tells us, have that triple curse lying upon them. May I be so bold as to claim that ignorance of things Holy and righteous has never been so prevalent in the land that I love as today. Men will believe anything that a pretentious man says and nothing that God has said. To admit the veracity and applicability of the Word of God requires a certain change in outlook on life. This, the detractors do not desire to see. They prefer to believe that they themselves are the captains of their souls and masters of their fate instead of an Almighty God.

I may claim the same is true of impurity of life, manners, and common decency in America. Sex, drugs, infidelity in marriage, lying for advantage, dishonesty – all of these hold a tighter rein today on the American society than Christian morality has forever held up until the last four generations.

The latter point, SORROW, speaks for itself. The joy of life and accomplishment that once marked the vibrant youth of America has turned to drugs, alcohol, depression, perversions, misery, and shiftlessness.

The answer to our modern dilemma is as close as the Bible in the lower drawer of most men’s bedroom dressers. Reach for it! Blow the dust from its covers! Read it! Digest it! And let its health-giving Words become the nourishment for every cell in your spiritual body and the greater nation as a whole!

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold – Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion – Descanso, California
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together because, as is always the case, there is a unifying message in the Scripture for this Sunday.

The First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.

¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

Today’s Collect, like almost all of them, starts out asking God’s Grace, His Help, His intervention to allow us to turn our backs on evil and our own desires that we might make His Desire our desire. This theme is constant through ought most of the collects for the simple reason that it is truth. And it is the truth that without God’s intervention in our lives through the help of the Holy Ghost we are doomed to fail. If you will understand how short we fall in our “natural” desire, you will understand to cast off the works of darkness and don the armour of light, we must turn to Christ, who came to visit us, born in a simple and humble inn in Bethlehem. As His manner of birth, we must be humble as well, not boastful and proud like the rich , but meek and lowly, to embrace light and cast off the works of darkness. We have to let go of our pride in order to be humble and be able to cast off the works of darkness. Though He came in a rather humble manner, He shall return in a glorious and majestic manner, a rather stark contrast to His original incarnation, leaving no doubt who has come to lead us. Consider also that when Jesus came into this world, He knew precisely and exactly how He would leave and the pain and suffering it would entail. There was no way to justify in His mind that while there would be 99 percent casualties, it would not be Him. He knew exactly what would happen, yet He came anyway. He came for us. He came that we might not have just eternal existence, but eternal life and freedom.

The whole point of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel is that we must embrace light and reject the darkness. We do this by allowing the Holy Ghost into our hearts, to shine the light in our hearts and expel the darkness. It is a true and bright light which will cleanse our hearts of the inner darkness and will send the darkness scattering like insects. Only then can we truly don the armor of light. We need to train our brains and minds and souls in this way, so that we can act for Christ. This constant battle will occur for the rest of our lives until we are called home to join our friends and family who have gone before and Christ and His Father. We have been called to do these things, as sons and daughters of God, but only with a conscious effort on our part to accept Him and more importantly to listen to Him, can we do these things. To do these things we have to live it. Not just say we are living it, but physically perform the actions needed to live it.

This brings us straight to the Epistle. Paul tells us we need to live the life we aspire to. He wastes little time on the don’ts which the Jews were famous for getting around, but goes right to the dos; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. By going through the dos, Paul is saying we need to let in the light and allow the Holy Spirit to expel the darkness. We cannot hope to accomplish any of the dos if we do not have the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Following God requires that we reject the dark and cling to the light. The light of the Holy Spirit will burn away the darkness in our souls, if we will but let Him.

Paul cautions us to not borrow for what we do not need that we might owe others nothing but our love. To know the difference between want and need. This is sound advice sorely needed in this country these days. If we do, we are ensuring that we will not have a worldly obligation to any who might hold that over us to influence our path away from that Christ set out for us. We ideally owe no man anything but that of our love. Paul asks us to love our neighbors, by love he means to take care for them as we would for ourselves or our own close relations. Not necessarily to “give” them money, but to help them to attain self-sufficiency that they might prosper both in soul and body.

This takes us right into the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. We must not be for God in speech only, but in deed. When Jesus came into this world, He came knowing the true purpose of His coming, He came knowing how He would leave, He came knowing the cost at which our souls would be accounted at perfect. He knew what He had to do to save our souls for eternity. His whole ministry, including his death and resurrection, can be best summed up in one word; action. He consistently backed up His Message with actions and not just words. This is a pattern for us to follow as believers; we are called not just to say good words, but back those good words up with actions. The story of Palm Sunday is the same as that of the Nativity. For on Palm Sunday, there was joy in the crowd at the arrival of the Savior, much as there was in the stable at the arrival of the Child Jesus. Yet, many in the very same crowd who cried “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday were there early on Good Friday. For what did they cry then?

“Crucify Him, Crucify Him!”

Pilate asked for them to cry for mercy, they cried for vengeance on their Lord and Savior!

A swift 180° turn from “Hosanna to the Son of David.” How quick are men to turn upon a good thing. As Charles Spurgeon said “It is an astounding thing and a proof of human depravity that men do not themselves seek salvation. They even deny the necessity of it and would sooner run away than be partakers of it.” This is due to our natural inclination to choose the fruit of death rather than the bread of life, which comes from the Baker of Life, Jesus Christ.

The Bread of Life is Christ’s sacrifice for us, and every time we partake of it in Holy Communion and listening to the Gospel and the Epistle, we must always remember the cost of our freedom from death. This Bread did not come to us without a cost namely His Death and resurrection. It also comes with conditions, namely that we profess Christ as Our Saviour and to put Him first in our lives, love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and love our neighbors as ourselves. We have heard this before in the Summary of the Law. This is what the Law of God condenses down to, and this is what all laws we set forth must be based upon, for there is no other rational or foundational base so great and solid as Christ. He must be the Chief Cornerstone in our lives, if our lives are to have any meaning. There are those who He is not chief in, and they are those who may vainly profess His name with their lips, but not in their actions. This is a great sorrow for them. They have not kept the Word of God in their hearts, though they may shallowly profess it with their lips. It is action, not diction, that counts!

We must not be like them. We must put on the great Armour of Light and so reject our former lives of sin and vanity. We must switch from our old selfish lives to a new unselfish, Christ filled life. It is something we always struggle with, but God never gives up on us. We can be comforted by the assurance He will never give up on us. We just have to never give up on Him and do our very best to follow what He says. As long as we repent from our sin and turn back to God in our private prayers and devotion, he will wipe our slate clean. I know I have a hard time keeping on the straight and narrow path, so I am glad He left the Scriptures to guide us.

Through following His Word and Instructions, we shall be given a greater reward than anything existent on the Earth; past, present or future, that gift of immortal life, life for all eternity, that will outlast this physical world. To don the armour of light is not merely putting it on, you must utilize the helmet, the buckler and sword (Scriptures and Christ’s teachings). You need the whole complement of weaponry to go into combat with the Prince of Darkness in this fallen world. And you not only need the complement of weaponry, but we need to train with these weapons. The best way is to be reading Scriptures regularly and discussing the meaning of it with your fellow believers. This way you can ingrain the Scriptures in your heart and be ready to do battle with those who follow the Prince of this World.

Make no mistake, we are engaged in a World War with the Prince of Air, the Prince of This World, for the souls of men, starting with our own, a World War which has been going on since the beginning of time. But we know the ending is in our favor for certain, for the Book of Revelation tells us so.

As individuals we may not experience victory here on earth. We may struggle with problems in this world and our own, our whole lifespan on this planet. We may not see and savor that victory here on earth; but we know in the end He will be victorious as we know the Savior. We will win, for we are on His Side.

Cast off the dull worn robes of darkness, which lack luster, give no warmth, protect not from the heat, and put on the shining glorious armour of light. So kitted up, we walk in light, not in darkness where we may stumble and fall. Unlike moths, for us light is life, not the destruction of darkness.

Come, put on the Armor of Light and go forth to destroy that last enemy, death!

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

Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor – Paul’s Anglican Church – Anglican Orthodox Church
Bishop Roy is pastor of the biggest AOC parish West of the Mississippi and is in charge of the Diocese of the Epiphany, as well as South America.

First Sunday in Advent
Psalm 46 • Isaiah 28:14 – 22 • Hebrews 12:14 – 29
1 December 2019, Anno Domini

The First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.

As we reflect on the three passages of scripture we heard this morning, let us look at several themes that come out in each set of verses.

Psalm 46. Deus noster refugium.

G
OD is our hope and strength, * a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved, * and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof rage and swell, * and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God; * the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most Highest.
5 God is in the midst of her, therefore shall she not be removed; * God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are moved; * but God hath showed his voice, and the earth shall melt away.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; * the God of Jacob is our refuge.
8 O come hither, and behold the works of the Lord, * what destruction he hath brought upon the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease in all the world; * he breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear in sunder, and burneth the chariots in the fire.
10 Be still then, and know that I am God: * I will be exalted among the nations, and I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; * the God of Jacob is our refuge.

In Psalm 46 there is tumult and fury,

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

And yet out of this chaos we get peace; and then the promise;

Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

In the Isaiah passage we get a glimpse of the coming Christ. (vv 15-17)

B
ECAUSE ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Isaiah is warning the people of Israel to be careful, to stop sinning, to repent, and to come back to God, because there will be justice, there will be judgement.

Christ Jesus is described as a foundation or corner stone. Other passages point to this illustration with the caveat of the rejection of this stone by the Hebrew people. This has dire consequences, it is to the eternal separation (damnation) of ANY one who rejects the Messiah.

It is interesting that even with the first Advent there is a warning to those who reject the Savior; it will be their perdition and spiritual demise if they fail to heed that warning.

Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

The whole Hebrews passage is a warning against refusing God.

B
UT ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

These words were written to the Hebrews who for the most part had rejected Christ the promised Savior. The author is giving the Hebrew readers a chance to understand that this same Christ is the promised Messiah from the Old Testament prophets.

Looking at Matthew Henry’s commentary of this passage we find the connection between Old and New covenant or testament:

“All the children of God are heirs, and every one has the privileges of the first-born. Let a soul be supposed to join that glorious assembly and church above, that is yet unacquainted with God, still carnally-minded, loving this present world and state of things, looking back to it with a lingering eye, full of pride and guile, filled with lusts; such a soul would seem to have mistaken its way, place, state, and company. It would be uneasy to itself and all about it. Christ is the Mediator of this new covenant, between God and man, to bring them together in this covenant; to keep them together; to plead with God for us, and to plead with us for God; and at length to bring God and his people together in heaven. This covenant is made firm by the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our consciences, as the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the altar and the victim. This blood of Christ speaks in behalf of sinners; it pleads not for vengeance, but for mercy. See then that you refuse not his gracious call and offered salvation. See that you do not refuse Him who speaketh from heaven, with infinite tenderness and love; for how can those escape, who turn from God in unbelief or apostasy, while he so graciously beseeches them to be reconciled, and to receive his everlasting favour! God’s dealing with men under the gospel, in a way of grace, assures us, that he will deal with the despisers of the gospel, in a way of judgment. We cannot worship God acceptably, unless we worship him with reverence and godly fear. Only the grace of God enables us to worship God aright. God is the same just and righteous God under the gospel as under the law. The inheritance of believers is secured to them; and all things pertaining to salvation are freely given in answer to prayer. Let us seek for grace, that we may serve God with reverence and godly fear.”

As we think upon these verses and passages of God’s word, let us reflect on the great gift that was sent us by way of the baby Jesus, when he came the first time those so many years ago. This being the first Advent which brought Immanuel, God with us.

Let us pray.

F
ATHER we studied your word today, seeing your hand down through the halls of history. Help us to live according to your word as we have no excuses today. The word of God is both in our hands and has been manifest by the Son Jesus, who was born of a virgin, grew to adult hood, began his earthly ministry, was tried under Hebrew and Roman law, was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again to new life. He gave us the hope of resurrection by his perfect example. Let us intend to lead Godly lives today and as we leave here today and go forth into the world. Let us show the world we are God’s children, we are children of the kingdom. These things we pray in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

A
LMIGHTY Father, who didst send thine only Son that through him all men might be saved; Enable those who teach so to consecrate their lives that, being themselves led of thee, they may lead thy children in the paths of everlasting life; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

L
ORD Jesus Christ, who as on this day didst rise from the dead; Teach us to reverence this thy holy day, and give us grace so to use it, that we may rise to newness of life, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
✟
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

First Sunday in Advent

John the Baptist was born into a priestly family. He was a miracle child in that he was born to aged parents much as Isaac was given of God to Abraham and Sarah. He was also a cousin of our Lord on his mother’s side of the family (Luke 1:5-25, 39-45 and 57-80). And like our Lord, John the Baptist’s early life is a” closed book”. We next hear about him in the gospels in his role as the forerunner of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke (see Isaiah 40:3-11) and which was fulfilled as noted in all four gospels (see Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-6; Luke 3:10-18; John 1:19-27), for in these we are told of his calling to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and to baptize those who came to him seeking remission of their sins.

Now let us consider the manner of baptism and the preconditions for it, they being water with repentance. The Jews had pools called mikvahs, which were used for ritual bathing prior to entering the Temple precincts. And so it was not uncommon for them to immerse themselves, either whole or in part for religious purposes. Ergo, these baptisms performed by John the Baptist would not have been viewed by the Jews as strange or foreign, but quite in line with their faith. And we may safely deduce that hundreds, perhaps even thousands of them were baptized by John as the Scriptures do not tell us how long he had been preaching and baptizing prior to our Lord’s own baptism.

John’s clear message was simple: Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2). But what does it mean to repent? The biblical understanding of this word speaks of having a change of mind. John, being filled with the Holy Ghost, called the people to turn from their wicked ways and have a change of mind and heart toward God . He emphasized the urgency of such a change when he proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Very soon thereafter our Lord appeared on the banks of the Jordan River seeking to be baptized of him (Matthew 3:13-17). Only after that, did our Lord begin his ministry, preaching that very message of John with this difference: our Lord was not a prophet limited to one time and place. He is the Christ. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords who came to bring salvation to those who would believe on his name.

As a result of our Lord’s baptism, the sacrament of Christian baptism was born on the banks of the Jordan River. According to one commentator, when our Lord was baptized it resulted in three evidences of his messianic nature:

1. The Holy Ghost descended as a dove and rested upon him;
2. The Spirit’s descent was accompanied by the voice of the Father who commended his Son to John et al;
3. Our Lord’s prescription in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19- 20), every regenerated Christian ought to likewise receive this sacrament (or ordinance) using the trinitarian formula.

Unfortunately, many of today’s theologians and seminarians have taken the question which John’s disciples asked of our Lord in Matthew 11:1-6 as proof of his “supposed” uncertainty about our Lord. Let us now examine those passages. And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities (v.1). Our Lord was doing the works of the Father ministering among the people of Judah. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? (vv.2-3) Per these two verses, the modernists have attempted to create an image of a “Doubting John the Baptist”. And this should come as no surprise because a sizable number of them doubt the divinity of Christ, the veracity of the Bible, and, in some cases, the very existence of God. But as they embrace their false image of Christ, they have willingly ignored the truth of John the Baptist’s own affirmation of our Lord when he said, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me (John 1:29-30). John did not send his disciples to satisfy his mind about who Jesus was. He sent them to be confirmed in their own minds who he is. John the Baptist knew that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, and it is too bad that many of today’s pastors do not.

John’s ministry began to decline the moment he baptized our Lord, and lasted but briefly until his death at the hands of Herod Antipas (John 3:22-36). Such was chronicled in Matthew’s gospel (14:3-12) wherein we are informed that he suffered martyrdom for his criticism of Herod’s adultery with his brother’s wife. But even as death took him, the gates of heaven swung open wide to receive this great and humble man who was sent by God to prepare the way for him whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2b).

Our Lord paid tribute to John the Baptist upon hearing of him being cast into prison saying, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily, I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:7-11)

God called John the Baptist to go before the face of the Messiah and proclaim him openly before men, calling them to repentance and to be baptized. Our Lord then built upon that message, and if we are to learn from him, then we too must come to God with humble and contrite hearts, seeking his pardon and receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

John did not have it easy. He did not have a multitude of earthly resources to utilize in his efforts. He did not have a mega-church building. He did not wear fine robes. He did not have a band of musicians pounding out secular rhythms. He did not demand a tithe. He did not make promises of healing that he could not perform. He did not have a custom hair-do. No, John’s message was plain, simple and without dissembling. It was the unvarnished truth of God: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If we would be wise in the Lord, we will heed his calling to do the same.

Let us pray,

F
ATHER, we thank thee for thy servant John the Baptist whose ministry heralded the coming of our Lord; and assist us as we continue to watch for our Lord’s return; for this we ask in the name of him who is the same yesterday, today and forever, even thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have a blessed week, Bryan+

People in our Prayers – http://faithfulcenturionprayerteam.blogspot.com/
Why? Prayer is an extremely important activity.
It is not that God knows not our needs, for He surely does. Yet, Jesus commanded us to ask God for those same needs. In addition to the obvious of asking God for help, offering thanksgiving and the like, prayer helps us focus our thoughts on how we might do God’s work.

The Prayer Team of the Anglican Orthodox Church was established to help our members and fellow Christians pray for those in need and to give thanks as well for the blessings we have been granted.

Who can be on the list? Do I have to be a member of the Anglican Orthodox Church to be prayed for?
No! The only qualification to be on the list is that you want our prayer team to pray for you. We are Christians and are happy to pray for you, no matter who you are. If you want help from God, you are our kind of people.

What is the commitment from the prayer team?
Each member of the team will pray for the desired outcome at last once per day.

How do I get myself or someone else on the prayer list?
You can email one of the prayer team leaders: Jack – jack@faithfulcenturion.org or Dru – dru@ faithfulcenturion.org, or call the office at (619) 659-3608 or fill out a prayer card at your church.

What should I ask for?
Depends on what you want. Some people merely want God to be asked to heal their ills and be mentioned by their first name, others want a specific outcome and / or have more of their personal information known to the team. Ask for what you want. It is your desire and need for prayer the team is attempting to meet. For typical examples, see the list below.

Updating the Team
If you are on our prayer list, or if you have submitted a person that you have asked us to pray for, please update one of the team members or Hap in person, by telephone or email. It helps to be able to pray specifically for these individuals including their specific needs; plus if they get better, it is our happy duty to give thanks!

Please note that on the yellow (maybe green or orange if you get an old one) cards at church, you can ask that those to be prayed for have their names disseminated to the prayer team. Those names will be said in church and appear here. Or, you can ask that their names and purpose be kept confidential, then only Hap will know to pray for them.

Prayer List Notice – If you have someone on the prayer list and their needs have changed, please let us know. We’d like to update our prayers to reflect the need and most important to give thanks!

Travel
Sky Cruz is on travel this week to the Bahamas for work.

Birth
Maddison Cipriana Cruz was born 25 September 2019 to Jenna and Landon Cruz. Please give thanks for a safe birth.

Birthdays
Aaron Gray celebrated his 17th birthday on 18 November 2019.

Zachary Gray celebrated his 18th birthday on 23 June 2019.

Immediate Prayer Please
Jim Flanagan has diabetes and back problems; he was stuck in bed on oxygen all the time and developed a bed sore which became infected. He has undergone two surgeries and is now recovering, there is still infection, but it appears to be subsiding. He can eat pureed food and sit up, he has gotten out of bed; all little things unless you cannot do them. He will be in the hospital for some time, but things see seem to be moving in the right direction. Please pray for them to continue and for the medical people treating him will pay attention, do their very best and be open to God’s guidance. Please pray for James and his lovely wife Mary Lou to put their worry on God’s back and do what must be done.

Corrie Marsh, daughter of Ida Benson, is facing serious medical procedures in coming days. Please pray for trust in God for Corrie and her family and for the doctors, nurses and technicians to pay attention and do their very best, as well as to be open to God’s guidance.

Tricia had a reoccurrence of a viral pericarditis, it is seemingly resolving, but it was followed by tachycardia and difficulty breathing. She now has a Staphylococcus Aureus ear infection which seems to be resistant to the drugs she had been given but does not seem to be related to the pericarditis. Please pray for peace of mind and soul for Tricia, as well as for the doctors, nurses and technicians to pay attention and do their very best, as well as to be open to God’s guidance. Please pray also she will be open to seeking appropriate medical treatment.

Angie K Colgrove’s had a bad case of Pericarditis likely brought on by a PVIA procedure (Pulmonary Ventral Ablation) to correct an Atrial Arrythmia in her heart and a thickening pericardium. After treatment at Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, then the Mayo Clinic there, she appears to have overcome all this and on the road to recovery. Please join her in prayers of thanksgiving for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating paying attention, doing their very best and being open to God’s guidance on diagnosis and treatment, as well as for Angie and her family not worrying and devoting all their strength to the fight against the illness.

Bill Scrivner is undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for esophageal cancer. The tumor had kept him from eating, so he is currently too weak for surgery. All this on top of pre-existing significant back pain. He does not like to leave his home, this makes his life far less enjoyable than it otherwise be. Please pray he will look outward so he can stay connected with his family who care deeply for him. He has trust in the Lord, pray he will act on that trust.

Hope DeLong has what appears to be viral myocardial myopathy which advanced to cause temporary congestive heart failure. She has been hospitalized and released; hopefully she is in the recovery stage. Please pray for a full and rapid recovery for Hope and that she is able to continue with the cessation of smoking and for peace of mind for her and her husband Ralph.

Shamu has electrolyte issues after her twenty-fourth or so abdominal surgery at John Hopkins to see what a tumor is in her abdomen and also to see what the pockets of infection are. She is losing weight and cannot lose much more. She has much pain and is very concerned. Right now it appears she will be on external feeding for the rest of her life and she is quite discouraged. Pray for her to cast off the discouragement and continue her trust in our Lord as she goes through this difficult time. She is sad and needs your prayer. Please.

Cyrus has blood cancer and is very very ill. Please pray the doctors treating him will pay attention and do their very best. Pray also for comfort and peace for Cyrus and his family; pray that if it not be that he will recover that he past restfully to home.

Kurt Thomas has apparent had a minor heart attack to his rebuilt heart. Please pray for peace of mind for him and his family as they wait and continued prayer that his body not reject his transplanted heart parts. Pray also for Kurt to accept what he cannot do at present and concentrate on what he can do. This is a very foreign situation for this Christian warrior. He needs God’s help to adapt and prosper.

Bob Reisor was told at his last examination that the cancer can no longer be found. He is very grateful and asks you join him in prayers of thanksgiving. He has to continue the chemotherapy in the future. Pray he and his family will be drawn closer to our Lord.

Carol Boeschen was in serious vehicle accident and in hospital and now rehabilitation; please pray for a full and rapid recovery for her, as well as peace of mind and strength for her and her husband Rich.

Janine Alvarado’s daughter has what appears to be terminal cancer, she is in much pain, in and out of the hospital. She asks that you pray for a miraculous recovery for her daughter and if that not be God’s will, a safe passing home. She asks you pray also for peace of mind and strength for both of them.

LTC Jay Houston a very confident Christian, particular friend and one of Hap’s favorite WSOs has major lung issues that have been going on for some time. Pray also for peace of mind for Jay and his family, as well as a favorable result.

Evelyn, an 88 year young woman is losing her eyesight to glaucoma. Please pray for God to guide those treating her and for her to let God carry her worry.

Chelsea Brown has need of God’s strength and guidance for her, her daughter Lauren and those around her. Her life has been in turmoil for the past two years. Chelsea was in an accident which left her without the use of her right arm for almost two years, though after two surgeries it is back, her daughter has had three sets of lung blood clots, dropped out of college and lost her job and car due to another accident. Things are very bad for them. Please pray that God will give them the direction and strength they need and the government officials in Raleigh will see clear to provide housing.

Jill was on life support; her family members traveled a great distance to see her and returned home safely. Jill’s condition improved to critical, but needs your prayers to continue her recovery.

Samson Hendrik has prostate cancer and his kidneys are not working. Pray our Lord Jesus Christ will be close to him and his family of friends during this illness.

In need of a miracle or understanding of God’s Plan
Doug Lambert has been battling Congestive Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for some time now. The conditions combine to make him very weak. He asks that you pray for the medical team treating him to do their best, to be open to God’s guidance and for him to keep his trust in the Lord and not worry.

Neal has heart problems and is very weak, he also has COPD, kidney problems, his potassium is too high, he came back from the point of death. He is now home and permanently on oxygen. He is doing well, for that he and his family are grateful and ask your thanksgiving prayers. More importantly, please pray Neal will accept salvation through our Lord and Savior.

Paul is in hospice and ready to meet His Lord. Please pray for Paul as he prepares to go home to be with his family who have gone before him. Pray for the faith of his family to build and the transition to be good.

Dot is an elderly woman with liver cancer. Please pray for Dot as she prepares to go home to be with her family who have gone before her. Pray for the faith of her family to build and the transition to be good.

Mrs. Tiffany (90) has chosen to refuse extraordinary care as it will not gain much earthly time. The Tiffanys have been together for a long, long, long time. Pray for Mrs. Tiffany and her husband as together they begin this Journey to be with their Lord.

Saundra is in ICU with congestive heart failure after a heart operation. She is aged and frail. Saundra is near the end of her time here on earth. Please pray for comfort, understanding, strength and guidance for Saundra and her family who will of necessity remain behind. Pray for the love of God to stay foremost in their hearts.

Polly is in hospice care with dementia and spinal stenosis. Please pray for her as she prepares to go home to be with her family who have gone before her. Pray for the faith of her family to build and the transition to be good.

Ron had a Heart Attack, at the hospital he found out he also has Kidney Cancer. He is a man of faith and is in need of prayer for his health and that the Lord will provide strength for his family.

Kathy Cox Merritt has been receiving Chemo and 12 November 2016, had bowel resection surgery and was given a very bad prognosis. Kathy just retired as an RN in Orthopedics at a local hospital; sometimes a little medical knowledge can be dangerous to the patient but she remains positive. Please pray for Kathy’s healing and peace and comfort for her and her family, both spiritually and physical

Krysti is off life support and able to talk, please give thanks for the good news. She is still unable to feel her legs. When that comes back she will go to a rehabilitation facility. Krysti has used drugs, has high blood pressure, is diabetic and has organ failure. Her families are with her and will appreciate your prayers.

Pat has metastatic osteosarcoma; there is little that can be done. Please pray for a miraculous remission; that Pat’s remaining time here on earth might be good. Help Pat and family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their sadness, fear, worry and terror.

Amy has been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma and has cancer all over her body, and in one of her kidneys which are no longer functioning. Amy and her family have asked for prayer to stop the growth and to aid the family financially with the medical bills. At present she has to have surgery every two months to place stents. Pray Jesus will be close to all.

Gemma Dillinger has been treating for breast cancer for over a year now, after surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy, she is reaching the limit of her tolerance with no end in sight. Please pray for her to gain strength and ground on the cancer. Help her to continue with her faith in our Lord, she is not afraid to go home, but wants to make sure it is time. Pray she will be encouraged to not give up until it is her time to go and that her time here on earth with her family will be good.

Janet has had a blood borne cancer for several years. Her faith in the Lord is great and she is ready to be with Him. Pray she will be encouraged to not give up until it is her time to go.

Holly has had Colon Cancer, Breast Cancer and now it is in her spine. Please pray for guidance for the medical personnel treating Holly, for a miraculous remission; that Holly’s remaining time here on earth might be good. Help Holly and her family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their sadness, fear, worry and terror. Pray for strength and courage for Holly.

Tim was on a kidney transplant list and started dialysis and was taken off the transplant list for a heart problem that required stents, while putting in stents a leaking valve was found. A port was put in and something happened and it has to be redone. In several days he will have a valve replaced, after heart surgery and recover he will go back on the transplant liPlease remember him in prayer in the days and weeks ahead. Pray he will put his worry on God’s shoulders so he might be at peace and re Pray for those treating him that they might pay attention and do their best.

Marilyn has been diagnosed with non-operable pancreatic cancer. Please pray for a miraculous remission; that Marilyn’s remaining time here on earth might be good. Help Marilyn and her family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their sadness, fear, worry and terror.

June found she has a recurrence of colon cancer, which is now Stage Four, that is it has spread. Please pray for a miraculous remission; that June’s remaining time here hon earth might be good. Help June and her family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their sadness, fear, worry and terror.

Leon McKay suffered a stroke a few weeks back that has left him unable to speak and while undergoing evaluation the doctors also found he has a very aggressive cancer. Please pray for a miraculous remission; that Leon’s remaining time here on earth might be good. Help Leon and his family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

Rev. Thomas Brooks is not improving and being kept alive by artificial machines. Please pray for a miraculous recovery and if that not be God’s Will, a rapid passing to home. Help Thomas’ family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

Ronnie has kidney cancer that has spread and the surgeons are very concerned. Please pray the medical team to formulate a successful treatment plan and for a miraculous remission; that Ronnie’s remaining time here on earth might be good. Help Ronnie and family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

Levi was cancer free for 4 years and just discovered he has kidney cancer. Levi has a great deal of faith and said whether he is healed or God takes him home he will be fine. Please pray for the medical team to pay attention and to their best and for a good outcome. Pray also that Levi and family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders. In particular, please pray for pain relief; Levi is 22 years old.

Ray Daley is a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and served his country during the Korean War era. Ray is taking chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Meanwhile his son Trevor is in the hospital in a coma and seems to have lost the will to live.

Pat has been under treatment for colon cancer for some time. He has had major complications the last few days and your prayers will be appreciated by family and friends.

Dorothy had pneumonia, on checking her lungs they found tumors which permeated the lung area. Further investigation found a primary site in the colon, with the lung being secondary. It would appear there is no viable treatment at this time. Please pray for a miraculous remission; that her remaining time here on earth might be good. Help Dorothy and her family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

Becky has fourth stage metastasized lung cancer and is not doing well with chemotherapy treatments. Please pray for Becky and her husband as they are together during this difficult time in their lives.

Colleen has been battling pancreatic cancer over the last year and it has now spread to one of her lungs. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Christine has cancer of the colon, which spread to her liver; she is receiving chemotherapy and is having difficulty eating. Please pray for the medical team treating her to pay attention and do their very best; pray also for confidence in our Lord for Christine and her family.

Homebound or Infirm
Loretta Walker is aging and losing some of her mental acuity, and thus independence, she is also plagued by diabetes and loves sweets. She is understandably vexed with this. She and her family ask you to pray God will help keep her mind and body together and that she not be mean or bait those who care most for her.

John has Alzheimer’s pray he will call on God to help him as he deals with this.

Steve, brother in law of Paul Martin, appears to have early onset dementia. Steve had teenage children and is very concerned for them. Please pray for the disease to stall or abate and for peace of mind for Steve and his family.

Joan has had serious medical problems that have kept her confined. Please pray her health will remain stable.

Surgery
Marcia has had a biopsy of a mass in her breast which indicated a tumor that must be removed. Pray the surgical team will be open to guidance, pay close attention and do their very be Pray for peace of mind and trust in God for Marcia and her family.

Edware is having his fourth back surgery (in the last four years) Please pray for the medical team to pay attention and to their best and for a good outcome. Pray also that Edware and his family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders.

Jeff has been undergoing surgery, chemo and radiation since October for pancreatitis and Pancreatic cancer. Please pray for the medical team to pay attention and to their best and for a good outcome. Pray also that Jeff, his wife and family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders.

Albert had a pacemaker installed recently. He will require surgery soon for a leaking heart valve and has just been told he has esophageal cancer. Pray he will turn to God and come to know Him on a more personal basis as the days go by.

Mario has early-diagnosed prostate cancer and had surgery. Pray for complete remission and that Mario and his family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders.

Testing and Treatment
Bryan Alford (~40) has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and seeking treatment.

April and her husband ask you prayers for the Lord to guide them and lead them both to the correct medical care; and that the family may receive comfort in the process.

Josh has two little children and just discovered he has a rare form of Cancer. Please keep him and his family in your prayers in the days ahead.

Ross an elderly gentleman has been diagnosed with Leukemia. Ross has had good health until now, your prayers at this time will be appreciated by his family and friends.

Carman was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Pray for her family as they continue to help her get the proper care. Pray with Carman, her family and friends that the physicians treating her will be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for continued trust in the Lord for Carman, her family and friends in this worrisome time.

Kathie Lynn Holter sister of Rev Phil Ternahan, was just diagnosed with Stage Four lung cancer (never smoked) which spread to the brain. She was operated on 26 June 2016. Please pray with Kathie, her family and friends that the physicians treating her will be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for continued trust in the Lord for Kathie, her family and friends in this worrisome time.

Tina just found out she has cancer on her left kidney. Please pray for guidance for the people treating her and for trust in our Lord for Tina and her family.

Martha is now home after testing and she does not have cancer, but she does have bad kidneys and is adjusting and getting ideas to work with that. Please pray for guidance for the people treating her and for trust in our Lord for her.

Spencer has been diagnosed with Autism. Please pray for guidance for the people treating him and for trust in our Lord for him and his mother Lorna.

Michael has cancer of the blood and is starting chemotherapy. Please pray for the physicians treating him to be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Michael.

Clay has a large gallstone; he is in poor health and not currently a surgical candidate. Please pray for the physicians treating him to be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Clay.

Jim Sevier has been in the hospital for heart related troubles. Please pray with Jim and his family the physicians treating him will be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Jim and his family in this worrisome time.

Claude has been falling and he does not know why. Pray doctors will discover what the problem is and he can continue without any more difficulties.

Gretchen has been diagnosed with severe osteoporosis and is now being treated with exercise, nutrition and vitamins. Please pray with Gretchen and her family the physicians treating her will be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Gretchen and her family in this worrisome time.

Pete has not been well and is back in the hospital with another stroke. Please pray for the physicians treating him to be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Pete and his family in this worrisome time.

Mary Lee has bleeding into her stomach and they cannot find the sources. Mary Lee is in CCU and her husband Maurice is not eating until she returns home for is so upset. Please pray for the physicians treating her to be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for her, Maurice, as well as the rest of the family in this worrisome time.

Glenn Porter, MAJ USMC Retired, has Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis, which causes him to be unable to get enough oxygen into his system without supplemental oxygen all the time. The only real treatment is a lung transplant, without a transplant he has between two to five years here on earth. Please pray for him to continue in his faith and for a set of lungs to become available.

Pat has an aneurism of the brain, pray she will make the right decision on how to treat this problem and it will be healed.

Dan is very sick with cancer and is starting an experimental treatment. This treatment will take Dan away from their family business and put even more stress on him and his family. Please pray for Dan’s wife who is meeting with Steve who plans to keep the family business going while Dan is ill. Pray for Steve as he has many new responsibilities.

Timothy has brain cancer. He had surgery and is waiting for the pathology report to find out what kind of chemo he will need. Please pray for continued guidance for the medical team treating Timothy and patience and trust in God for Timothy and his family. Pray also for a full recovery for Timothy.

Helen was admitted from her doctor’s office 15 July 2015, as the result of a blood test, to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital with an extremely high white blood count. She and her husband are very active in the ministry of their church and are asking for believers to pray for them and their family, as they are facing very serious problems in the days to come. Please pray for guidance for the medical team and patience and trust in God for Helen and her family. Pray also for a full recovery for her.

Elma has been suffering with headaches for a long time. Doctors have not been able to discover the reason for them. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Elma and her family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people caring for her that they might find the best treatment method to banish the headaches completely.

Deborah has had a stroke, she is doing much better and out of the hospital. She has a problem with anemia and is taking supplements for that. Pray our Lord will be close to her and her family. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Deborah and her family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people caring for her that they might find the best treatment method to allow her to heal completely.

Rev. Steve Boardman has been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. Pray that Jesus will be close and comfort his family and members of his congregation.

Hang So Ryu has cancer. Please pray for medical team contemplating and evaluating the treatment that they might be guided to the correct choice and do their very be Pray also for peace of mind and trust in God for him and his family, as well as physical strength.

Olivia, age 7, has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Lymphoma. The prognosis is good at this time, please pray for medical team contemplating and evaluating the treatment that they might be guided to the correct choice and do their very be Pray also for peace of mind and trust in God for Olivia and her family, as well as physical strength.

Paul has been hospitalized recently several times because of persistent high fevers. He is being tested and checked by physicians and seems to have a slight scoliosis, a node and Schuermann’s disease. Please pray it will be discovered how to treat these problems and healing will begin so he will be inspired to continue his education.

Rick has heart problems. Please pray for guidance for the medical people treating him that they might pay attention, do their very best and make the right recommendations regarding treatment. Pray for help for Rick and his wife Wanda to keep their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

Stacy has Multiple Sclerosis and was hospitalized for what turned out to be food poisoning. Pray for trust in God for Stacy and Chris as they deal with Stacy’s illness.

Faye is in the hospital because she is weak has been receiving blood transfusions. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Faye and her family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find the best course of treatment and allow Faye to heal completely.

Tom has heart and kidney problems. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Tom and his family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that they might find the best course of treatment and allow Tom to heal completely.

Harold is having surgery on 30 September 2016 to repair a hole in his aorta bleeding into the abdomen which caused stroke like symptoms.

Joe has had a preliminary ALS diagnosis. Pray the final diagnosis will something that will allow him to continue taking care of his devoted young family. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Joe and his family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that they might find the best course of treatment.

Preston is reacting poorly to recent neck surgery and now has problems with his liver count; Physicians feel that dialysis will help. There may be a blockage in the bowel and an operation might be necessary. Please pray for the medical team to pay attention and to their best to determine how to help Preston and for a good outcome. Pray also that Preston and family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders while Preston does his best to facilitate a return to good health.

Brenda is in the hospital because of bleeding on her brain. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Brenda, as well as for her family, and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find the best course of treatment.

Mackenzie is a young girl with leukemia. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Mackenzie, as well as for her family, and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find the best course of treatment.

Mack has had diabetes most of his adult life. Circulation in his legs is very bad and doctors are considering amputation. Please pray his medication will help and he will not face amputation. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Mack and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that they might find the best course of treatment.

Michael has been diagnosed with lung cancer recently after making it through gastro intestinal cancer last year. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Michael and his wife Gayle; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that they might find the best course of treatment.

Adriano is in the hospital due to high sugar and high blood pressure. He is very weak and will appreciate your prayers.

Heather recently found out she has cancer. Please pray for peace of mind for her and for the medical team treating her will be guided to the right solution.

Jim has had an aneurism and blood clots. Pray that healing will come.

Georgia has liver and pancreatic cancer. The doctors are evaluating whether to do surgery and how to tackle the disease. Georgia is a faithful Christian and appreciates your prayers. Pray for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find out the source of the problem and best course of treatment. Pray also for peace of mind and trust in God for Georgia and her family.

Lana’s doctor found something on her lymph nodes and ovaries. Pray for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find out the source of the problem and best course of treatment. Pray also for peace of mind and trust in God for Lana and her family.

Healing
Gloria just found out she has stage one breast cancer. She loves the lord and has a positive attitude toward healing. They are doing a lumpectomy on 27 August 2019.

Jim Simmons’ Hodgkin’s disease has returned after 24 years. He hopes to get through this as he did before. Jim would appreciate your prayers for the medical team treating him; please pray for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him to pay attention, to be open to God’s guidance and do their very bePray for trust in our Lord and peace of mind for Jim and his family.

Vladia had a right knee replacement which went well; she has had a full recovery and has had her other knee replace and soon will be running like never before. She thankful for the prayer support.

Madisun Hanks (14) has Tourette’s Syndrome and suffers from horrible migraine headaches. There are various very high risk treatments which provide some relief. None of them are close and none are easy. Madisun is truly one of the most inspiring young ladies we have ever come across, her attitude and actions are almost unbelievable. No one should have to go through what she does, but she makes it through and performs incredibly when others just get by. Please pray for Madisun, her mom Hilda who guides her through all this and those treating her.

Linda recently had a basal cell carcinoma removed and she is doing well, 15 years with Multiple Myeloma is doing great. She is continuing bimonthly chemo and this keeps her going strong, she is grateful for all prayers.

Chris Hill (close friend of Jon Weston) suffered a brain aneurysm and needs your prayers. He came out of a coma he had been in since the week before Christmas 2016. He is now in a stepdown facility. Every day is a new day to him; his memory seems to have been damaged to a point where it is not recovering so far. Pray for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him to pay attention, to be open to God’s guidance and do their very bePray for trust in our Lord and peace of mind for Chris and his family.

Rev Bill had a stroke. Pray he will stay comfortable and Jesus will be close by, please pray for a full and rapid recovery.

Dennis will begin chemotherapy for an active cancer spot on his spine on 17 September 2015. Please pray for a good result and tolerance of the treatment for him.

Vickie has been bothered with Migraines and all that go with the headaches. Please pray for relief from the pain for Vickie.

Jon has Stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma. There is good news in that he is in remission; however the chemotherapy is producing neuropathy in his legs so it is a challenge for him to get around. Please pray that he will be as comfortable as possible; he has been a Marathoner runner so this is especially difficult.

Amy has melanoma in her lungs, liver and kidneys; they have found a treatment for her that has a high success rate however the side effects are debilitating. Please pray she will be able to tolerate the side effects and the treatment is successful. Amy has full trust in the Lord, but would still appreciate your prayers.

Liz had a massive stroke at age thirty-seven. The prognosis is good but she has a long road ahead. Please pray for guidance for those treating her, for trust in our Lord for Liz and her family, for healing.

Ebick is suffering from a severe ulcer but the Doctors cannot give her the proper dosage of the medicine due to her six month pregnancy. Please pray doctors will find an alternative avenue for treatment or that God will provide.

Stan is going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer. He is elderly and the treatments are tiring him. Please pray for his wife Marvelene as they do this together.

Donald is in the hospital and had his leg amputated on 14 April 2014. Pray he will adjust and healing will begin.

David has many concussions and unable to go to school, read books, watch TV and has headaches and migraines. He has trouble sleeping and his family will appreciate your prayers for this 10 year old young man.

Gladys has breast cancer and has had a lumpectomy. She needs to take a year off of her work to have chemo treatments.

Alwin Jack has had a stroke and recently has had a relapse. Please pray for those who treat Alwin that they might choose the best possible treatment and pray for peace of mind for Alwin during the recovery phase.

Carolyn has Multiple Sclerosis with complications. Pray Carolyn and her children will be close to our Lord Jesus Christ as they and family members help to ease the problems.

Bill had malignant growth removed from a lip last month and seems to be experiencing a re-growth of the cancer. He asks your prayer for the medical team treating him and for peace of mind for himself.

Hank has osteoporosis, which has caused him a great deal of pain and inconvenience in the past few years. Pray for his healing and that his medical bills will be met.

Evelyn is an elderly woman who has had problems with her eyes and is now blind. It appears some sight will return shortly, pray for that to happen!

Joanne has begun kidney dialysis as a result of kidney failure due to extensive chemotherapy. Additionally she cares for an adopted drug addicted baby who is now nine years old. Please pray for her to keep her faith, to let the Lord carry her worry and concern and to give her strength. Pray also for those treating her that they might pay attention and do their best.

Bud and his wife for their continued welfare and enthusiasm. Bud has been advised of an aneurism in his heart of a size not mandating immediate surgery. This comes at a time when he has sole care of his wife who recently broke two vertebrae and thereafter sustained pneumonia.

Dester is suffering from unknown skin and diseases. Please guide the medical team treating him to find out what the problem is and cure it. Pray also for Dester to trust in the Lord.

Lee has Arterial Fibrillation, she is doing much better and she and her family thank you for your prayers. Her pain level is high and some medications have bad side effects. Please continue her in Prayer in the weeks ahead as she heals.

Nell recently adopted two children and has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

Mary Lou has been suffering with seizures. She was in the hospital with a 24 hour monitor and is being sent home from the hospital with two medications and orders to return in 2 months for another MRI to review whatever is going on in her brain. Please pray for guidance for the medical people treating her, as well as peace of mind and trust in God for her and her family.

Kathleen has spent the last two weeks in the hospital. She has been diagnosed with colitis, shingles and possibly colon cancer. Pray she will be comfortable and begin to heal.

Rachel has Mitochondrial Myopathy. This is a hereditary disease of the muscles and they do not have a cure for it. Part of her pain is her family does not believe she is indeed ill, as she appears to be just fine. Please pray her family will learn the truth and be supportive of her; pray also the medical people treating her will find the right measures to minimize the disease. Most particularly pray for Rachel’s trust in God.

Nicolas is in the hospital with serious symptoms of a heart disorder. Please pray for peace of mind for him and guidance for the medical team looking for the cause and cure.

Juanita is a young girl who was in a coma because of a blood disease. She has not come out and is gaining strength. They are awaiting results from blood samples. Her family thanks you for your prayers and asks that you continue.

Lauralee Meade underwent a lumpectomy on Friday after Thanksgiving. A further anomaly has been discovered and she had additional preventative radiation treatment. Please pray for a complete remission of the cancer. Pray also Lauralee will maintain her great attitude and trust in God.

Kay Denton (Mrs. Kay) was able to get a hip replacement in spite of her heart and kidney problems and is recovering remarkably! Please give thanks for this great event and result! Please pray for continued peace of mind for Mrs. Kay and her family. Give thanks for her trust in the Lord and her positive attitude.

Healing and Patience
Kym (43) has various hip problems which seems to be related to osteoarthritis. And, her mother Ruth is in the early stages of dementia. Pray for guidance for those treating both of them, as well as patience and trust in the Lord for both of them.

Christopher has had problems with his leg for some time. Now he has to have it casted and it will stay that way for what to him seems an interminable time. Pray for patience and peace of mind for this young man who has much he wants to do.

James for the Lord’s healing of health issues and give a remedy for many personal challenges at the moment.

Thanksgiving and Continued Healing
Bruce Arnold has an enlarged heart. Please pray for guidance for the medical team treating him that they might find a complete solution to his heart problems. Pray for peace of mind for Bruce, his wife Milly and his children Megan, Kikki and Bruce, Jr.

Bill had surgery November 2016 for a kidney tumor; he is one kidney short, but recovering very well for the present. It appears the cancer has spread to another spot. Please pray for Bill as he undergoes chemotherapy and perhaps other treatment. Pray Bill and his family will stay strong in their faith and draw the strength they need from our Lord.

Cindy (81) had an operation to remove a cancerous growth in her stomach which was successful. She is now home, but in a bit of pain. Please give thanks for the good result, pray for full and complete healing and remission of the cancer, as well as cessation of the pain; pray also for continued faith for Cindy and her husband Les (91).

Ruby broke her hip on 10 December 2015, surgery was successful. Please give thanks for the successful surgery and pray for her full and rapid recovery.

Terry was undergoing radiation treatment for cancer, which he had to stop to amputate his leg below the knee due to diabetes. The surgery was successful, he has been fitted with a prosthetic leg and foot. He is in good spirits and positive about the remainder of his treatment. Please join Terry and his family in giving thanks for the successful surgery and continue to pray for his return to radiation treatment and then to chemotherapy, ask God to give Terry, his wife and seven year old son trust in him for peace of mind and heart, as well.

Janet Jessup had a stroke and heart problems were causing huge issues for her. They seem to have gotten her stabilized and she is home. Please pray for those treating her to find the appropriate treatment and for trust in God and peace of mind for Janet and her family, in particular her husband of 45 years, Rev Roger Jessup, retired minister of Saint Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Orthodox Church.

Sam had surgery on his entire large intestine that had become infected. At the time of the operation he was just hours away from a complete organ shutdown. He had had turmoil in his life over the years. Sam is now in the ICU and his Minister visited him and explained to him God had given him another chance for him to make things right with his Lord. Pray for his good health and his spiritual life with Jesus.

Ian had surgery to remove excess skin rendered a nuisance by controlled lost of 200 pounds. Please give thanks for the successful result and for those treating him to have paid attention and done their very best on the lengthy surgery, taking the best possible care of him. Please pray for his continued recovery and strength for his Mother who will be in charge of his after care.

Jenniffer had surgery for breast cancer on 15 October 2014, which seemingly went well; please give thanks for that. She has had other complications which preclude her from making a full recovery in particular, the reconstructive surgery seems to have gravely affected her back muscles and nerves, resulting in both very limited mobility and extreme pain, the drugs are making her terribly sick; please pray those will be overcome. Pray for help for Jenniffer to keep her trust in the Lord and let Him carry her worry and concern as she recovers. Please pray also for strength and courage for her family as they try their best to help her.

Mary Thornell has been battling colon cancer for three years now, she is currently treating at the City of Hope. Things seem to be going well, the numbers seem headed in the right direction. Please pray for guidance for those treating her, as well as strength, guidance and peace of mind for Mary and her husband Jim, as well as daughter Janice and son Jimmy, as she undergoes treatment.

Elma is suffering from cancer. She was taken home from the hospital on the advice of her Doctor. We were asked to pray Elma’s remaining time here on earth might be good and Elma and family might put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry. Since then, Elma’s Bishop told us a great Miracle of the Lord is working over Elma. Doctors sent her home to die, but now she seems to be doing all right. On behalf of her, thank you for all of your prayers. Please continue praying for her complete healing.

Dennis has heart problems; now the medical people treating him discovered a large mass on his liver which turned out to be a cyst! Please give thanks for this great development and pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Dennis and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that the contemplated surgery might go well.

Mike is a veteran who has served his country when she called. Please pray he will open his heart to God so He can make Mike’s crooked road straight and pull him towards the summit rather than to the pit.

Financial Guidance and Employment
Matt was made redundant after many years in a job. Please pray he will look through his considerable talents and find a set that will match a new position at a more honorable company quickly.

Kona is applying for a job in the hospital. Pray our Lord will find the right position for her and she will glorify Him in the work.

Doug recently became unemployed from his job of 18 years. He has been applying for jobs, but unable to get one at this time. His wife is working; this is not enough for the family. Please pray he will find employment with a firm that will be able to use his considerable skill and hard work to benefit both the firm and the family.

Lori is considering a potential change in her employment. Please pray for God’s guidance in considering all aspects of her potential work.

Financial Guidance and Healing
Clark is in need of salvation; for God’s Will to be done in his life. Pray his family will be blessed with the financial miracles that come from doing His Will.

God’s Strength and Peace of Soul
Charlie McCormack asks your prayer the Holy Ghost might fill his heart with light and drive the darkness far away.

Guidance
Jackie and her son Tommy, Jackie 10 years free of substance use returned to substance use while pregnant with Tommy who was born free of substances. Tommy has been removed from her and place with Grandparents. Pray for the Grandparents strength and courage to raise Tommy in a Godly way and for Jackie to return to the Lord and give up substance use and become a responsible Mother.

Zachary is having huge problems growing up. He has let the wrong people guide his life and thinks he is the smartest person in the world. He cannot or will not see the destructive power of drugs and lies in his life. Pray his parents Lee and Shamu will come to see what course of action they can take to help Zachary and safeguard his brother and sister. Please pray for God’s guidance for all of them and in particular for Zachary to open his heart to God and his parents help.

Linda is slowly converting her children through her great loving attitude and Love of the Lord.

Judy seemingly does not want to allow the Holy Ghost into her heart so she might come to know our Lord and Savior, despite the efforts of her family. Please pray for her to open her heat and for her family to be at peace with their efforts.

Barbara has been recovering from cancer for the last three years. Pray for her husband Bill who has come down with a mental illness that may have been caused by much stress the last few years. Barbara and Bill will appreciate your prayers.

Larry is very weak and has periods of confusion and depression. Larry has been in the hospital and recently moved to a rehab. Please keep him in prayer as he begins to gain strength in the days ahead.

Thomas recently learned as the result of a parole violation he will not be allowed to return to society for the remainder of his life. He is despairing and fearful of his inability to cope with this new news and God’s plan for his life. Please pray he will be able to work with God to live with the choices he has made and go forward.

Cam has gotten into some of the issues being with the wrong crowds, too much dinking and making the wrong decisions. Pray he will ask God to send the Holy Ghost in to straighten things out and he will listen when He speaks to him.

Paul recently had his large toe amputated due to diabetes and is having a difficult recovery filled with fear about dying. He recently accepted Jesus as his savior and his family Rosie and Brenda are very grateful. Pray for strength for both Rosie and Brenda who are staying by his side through it all encouraging him on.

Steve is addicted to alcohol, pain pills and gambling. Pray for wisdom, courage and strength to stick with treatment and follow God’s plan for his life.

Eli has some mental issues and has lost his way. He has yet to come to grips with the demons chasing him. He has returned to his family living in a cottage on his parents’ property in Hawaii so that they can keep him on his meds. He is doing much better, but he still needs prayer to follow his medication schedule. His parents are so thankful for all of the prayers as they have felt the Holy Spirit’s power in handling Eli during his dark periods.

Michael and his Family ask your prayers for wisdom as they are under trial and affliction to follow the law of the land and yet honor God in so doing.

Flora is in remission with cancer, but has high blood pressure and fatigue. Flora’s Mother recently died and this has caused added stress. Please pray she will be able to let God carry her worry and sorrow so she can do the things she must do.

Mitten has a Christian talking to him about Chri Mitten does not believe and does not seem to care. Please pray Mitten will see the light.

Kristen, Rickey and their two children ask you to pray for grace, wisdom and understanding as they attempt to cope with infidelity, separation and possibly divorce as a result of backsliding from the Lord into the World.

Helene and her family ask your prayers for them as they deal with the loss of Alan, husband and father.

Caitlin is in the grip of the Prince of Darkness; she thinks there is escape from reality in drugs. The saddest part is that reality is not as she sees it. Her family is despairing as they can do nothing to help her and ask that you pray for the Holy Ghost to enter into heart and show her the need for change before it is too late.

Nathaniel is in spiritual turmoil. His family and friends will appreciate it if you will keep him in your prayers for him to find the root of his trouble and accept God’s help.

Sam and her two children have been living in a shelter and are to lose their place there. Please pray a place will be found they can stay in and recover.

Norrie is facing daily exams in the weeks ahead. Pray for calmness and concentration and to do the best possible.

Jonathan is addicted to drugs. He is now in jail awaiting trial. His parents and friends will appreciate it if you will keep him in your prayers for him to find the root of his trouble and accept God’s help to heal addiction.

Beth is suffering from ungodly treatment in her marriage. Please pray God will guide her in her behavior, actions and thoughts that she might be able to lead her husband to God so her marriage might prosper to the benefit of them.

Jeanette has had many members of her family die from diabetes and several are near death now. Jeanette does not know the Lord and is despondent and perplexed about her family and herself. Please pray she can open her heart to allow the Holy Ghost in to bring her knowledge and understanding.

Sara asks that you pray for guidance for her as she deals with the stresses of life. Pray she can separate those things which she can affect from those things which she cannot and give her grace to accept that she cannot do everything and can only change those things within her control. She asks for God’s help to keep up with the needs of her husband and healing her own problems.

Jacquie to open her heart to God and accept His Love and Grace.

School Challenges
Destiny, Blake and Janet

Anglican Orthodox Church
Diocese of Central and South America
Rev Miguel Madera was received into the Anglican Orthodox Church on 13 August 2018, with the AOC mission of San Augustin de Canterbury, La Plata, Argentina.

Madagascar
Please pray for the people in Madagascar, in particular for the members of the Anglican Orthodox Church there, who are being subjected to terrible flooding and unceasing rain.

Indonesia
Please pray for the Lord’s will regarding the establishment of an AOC church in Indonesia.

Pakistan
General and Ongoing – The forces of evil are strong in Pakistan. The force of God stronger. Pray for our Christian family there.
Ernest Jacob
Presiding Bishop Pakistan
Congo
Jimmy is a missionary in the Congo. There has been violent unrest in this country and also a water shortage. Please pray people will find water to drink and Jimmy will be a means of helping others to find the Lord.

Philippines
Please pray a Minister will be found who would like to serve in Tabuk, in the Philippine Islands. The Anglican Orthodox Church has an established Church there and in the surrounding areas and need a Shepherd to lead the flock.

Diocese of the Epiphany
Saint Paul’s Moberly, Missouri would like your prayers that the Holy Ghost might enter more fully into their hearts so that they might be more effective in spreading the Word of God.

Diocese of Virginia
Saint Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Orthodox Church is under a lot of stress. We all are, but they need even more prayer. Rev Roger Jessup, their wonderful minister, had to retire as he was so pressed by the duties of a primary care giver, in addition to all the worries of this world. Pray for trust in God for each member of the parish and for them to find economic relief.

Armed Forces & Contractors
Dustin (USAF – Stateside), Kristyna and Luis Aviles (Army – Schofield Barracks, HI), Airman Donny Patton (USAF – Hulbert Field, Florida), Jordan Brown (USMC – Recruiter – Iowa City, Iowa), Trevor Jennings (USAF – KC-10 Boom Operator – McGuire AFB, NJ), Trevor Di Marco (USN – Whidbey Island, EF-18 Pilot), Kurt Thomas (USN – Camp Pendleton, California), Mitchell Thomas (USMC – 26 Palms, California) Ethan (US Army Airborne – Southwest Asia)

For Our Country
Our country has lost its way. Over half the people that vote, voted for a government that promises them things it cannot deliver in return for their souls which it can, will and does take. Our foreign policy backs the rise of Islam, we turn our backs on those who would follow God and arm those who murder them. Pray God will raise up a leader from among the people who can turn the country’s course 180° and attempt to come back to God. Pray the people will recognize that they are headed down a smooth wide road into the pit, a road that will get smoother and smoother, steeper and steeper until the only possible way is down. Down, into the depths of the pit. Pray people will recognize there is:

• One True and Triune God who is goodness in and of Himself;
• All religions are not equal;
• All ways of life are not equal;
• The Bible holds the Key to Life;
• All rights come from God, not the State;
• Good;
• Bad;
• Evil;
• Right;
• Wrong;
• Allah is the Devil;
• Abortion is no more than sacrifice of children to Baal.

Pray this recognition will not come too late. Pray we will, each of us, do our duty to God, Country and Family, putting His Honor above all.

Persecuted
Around the world, Christians are under attack, not only in the Muslim world, but from Hindus and others in India. Also, they are under continual attack in the name of Separation of Church and State in the western world, as it becomes actively atheist or pro-devil buddy. Please pray for God’s guidance and protection for all persecuted Christians and those around them.

Thanksgiving
Tricia gives thanks for safe travel last week to Annapolis, MD for work.
Amy Jamieson gives thanks for safe travel week to Texas to look after her dad Bill Scrivner.

What is the “Liturgical Year”?
Liturgy based Christian churches who consider themselves catholic, or universal, use a Christian Calendar which has a pre-set annual cycle of liturgical seasons which determines when Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations, and Solemnities are to be observed and which portions of Scripture are to be read.

Distinct liturgical colors are used in connection with different seasons of the liturgical year. The dates of the festivals vary somewhat between the Western (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Protestant) churches and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, though the sequence and logic is the same.

The dates of many feasts vary from year to year (Moveable Feasts) due to the variation in the date of Easter, and all other dates follow from that. The extent to which the fasts and festivals are celebrated also varies between churches; in general Protestant churches observe far fewer of them than Catholic and Orthodox churches, and in particular are less likely to celebrate feasts of the Virgin Mary and the Saints.

The liturgical cycle divides the year into a series of seasons, each with their own mood, theological emphases, and modes of prayer, which can be signified by different ways of decorating churches, vestments for clergy, scriptural readings, themes for preaching and even different traditions and practices often observed personally or in the home.

In churches that follow the liturgical year, the scripture passages for each Sunday (and even each day of the year in the Anglican tradition) are specified by a list called a lectionary. Anglicans and Lutherans have traditionally followed the lectionary since the days of the Protestant Reformation. Since the 1960s, the adoption and use of lectionaries in other Protestant churches (Methodist, Reformed, United, etc.) increased. This has led to a greater awareness of the Christian year among Protestants in the later decades of the 20th century, especially among mainline denominations.

Biblical calendars are based on the cycle of the new moon. The year is from the first new moon on or after the spring equinox to the next new moon on or after the spring equinox, rather than an arbitrary starting point like the modern calendar.

Western Christian liturgical calendars are based on the cycle of the Roman or Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, including Lutheran, Anglican, and Protestant calendars since this cycle pre-dates the Reformation.

Generally, the liturgical seasons in western Christianity are:

• Advent
• Christmas
• Green Season (Time after Epiphany)
• Lent
• Easter
• Green Season (Time after Trinity)

Advent from the Latin adventus, “arrival” or “coming”, the first season of the liturgical year begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Historically observed as a “fast”, its purpose focuses on preparation for the coming Christ.

Although often conceived as awaiting the coming of the Christ-child at Christmas it also points towards the final coming of Christ.

This period is marked by the Advent Wreath, a garland of evergreens with four candles. Traditionally, the wreath is made of four candles in a circle of evergreens. Three candles are violet and the fourth is rose. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent. Although the main symbolism of the advent wreath is simply marking the progression of time, the church attaches themes to each candle, most often ‘hope’, ‘faith’, ‘joy’, and ‘love’. Color: Violet or Blue. On the third Sunday of Advent, also called Gaudete Sunday, Rose/Pink is used.

Historically, the primary sanctuary color of Advent is Purple. This is the color of penitence and fasting as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. Purple is still used in Catholic churches. The purple of Advent is also the color of suffering used during Lent and Holy Week. This points to an important connection between Jesus’ birth and death. The nativity, the Incarnation, cannot be separated from the crucifixion. The purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world, of the “Word made flesh” and dwelling among us, is to reveal God and His grace to the world through Jesus’ life and teaching, but also through his suffering, death, and resurrection.

To reflect this emphasis, originally Advent was a time of penitence and fasting, much as the Season of Lent and so shared the color of Lent. In the four weeks of Advent the third Sunday came to be a time of rejoicing that the fasting was almost over (in some traditions it is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for “rejoice”). The shift from the purple of the Season to pink or rose for the third Sunday Advent candles reflected this lessening emphasis on penitence as attention turned more to celebration of the season. Churches other than Anglican have changed colors and emphasis on the whole wreath, we remain true to tradition. Maybe we are just slow learners or not so open to change for change’ sake.

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival. ” The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. That is a process in which we now participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate. Scripture reading for Advent will reflect this emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life. In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for Kingdom ethics, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live “between the times” and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people. So, as the church celebrates God’s entry into history in the Incarnation, and anticipates a future consummation to that history for which “all creation is groaning awaiting its redemption”, it also confesses its own responsibility as a people commissioned to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” and to “love your neighbor as yourself. ”

The near future, as well as Next Sunday

8 December 2019 – Second Sunday in Advent – Morning Prayer – Service start time 1000 (10:00 am); welcome or gathering songs before the service at 0945 (9:45 am); Time 1000 (10:00 am); Location – 10603 Burrell Way, Descanso, CA

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