Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
Worldwide Communion
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday Report
The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity – September 1, 2024
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity Propers:
The propers are 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 1540’s 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 saint’s 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. The Propers for today are found on Page 209-210, with the Collect first:
The Collect for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity. The Epistle. Galatians v. 16.
I SAY then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunken-ness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
The Gospel for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel. St. Luke xvii. 11.
AND it came to pass, as Jesus went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glo-rified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
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, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places. Rev. Geordie – England (right)
Points to Ponder:
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Proverbs 7:1-2
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
Micah 7:18
“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Do nothing that you would not like God to see. Say nothing that you would not like God to hear. Write nothing that you would not like God to read. Go to no place where you would not like God to find you. Read no book of which you would not like God to say, “Show it to Me.” Never spend your time in such a way that you would not like to have God say, “What are you doing?
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle – 19th century Anglican bishop and author.
He never fails the soul that trusts in Him;
Tho’ disappointments come and hope burns dim,
He never fails.
Tho’ trials surge like stormy seas around,
Tho’ testings fierce like ambushed foes abound,
Yet this my soul, with millions more has found,
He never fails; He never fails.
He never fails the soul that trusts in Him;
Tho’ angry skies with thunder-clouds grow grim,
He never fails.
Tho’ icy blasts life’s fairest flow’rs lay low,
Tho’ earthly springs of joy all cease to flow,
Yet still ’tis true, with millions more I know,
He never fails; He never fails.
He never fails the soul that trusts in Him;
Tho’ sorrow’s cup should overflow the brim,
He never fails.
Tho’ oft the pilgrim way seems rough and long,
I yet shall stand amid yon white-robed throng,
And there I’ll sing, with millions more, this song–
He never fails; He never fails.
J.S. Baxter
The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.
― Jonathan Edwards
The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a sunhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it.
— C.S.Lewis
The whole life of a Christian should be nothing but praises and thanks to God; we should neither eat nor sleep, but eat to God and sleep to God and work to God and talk to God, do all to His glory and praise.
- Richard Sibbes (1577-1635)
Always respond to every impulse to pray. The impulse to pray may come when you are reading or when you are battling with a text. I would make an absolute law of this – always obey such an impulse. –Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Those who know God the best are the richest and most powerful in prayer. Little acquaintance with God, and strangeness and coldness to Him, make prayer a rare and feeble thing.
–E. M. Bounds
Those that would have the love of God rooted in them must get the love of the world rooted out of them.
The Rev. Matthew Henry – 17th and 18th century English pastor and author.
The truth of Christ is the only means by which we may be washed clean of our sins and given a life of joy and liberty.
The Most Rev. Jerry L. Ogles – 20th and 21st century Anglican Orthodox
Presiding Bishop (Reason for Hope , p. 54).
A Prayer for the Anglican Orthodox Church
O Lord our heavenly Father, look down from heaven, we pray, on thy holy church, and especially on our Anglican Orthodox Church. Fill it with thy Holy Spirit of peace, power, wisdom and goodness, and make it strong in will to do thy will. Keep it from all danger, evil and error, and defend it from all of its enemies. Bring into its fold thy countless children who are wandering today as sheep without a shepherd, that they may be fed with the Living Bread and nourished with the Water of Life. Move the hearts of thy people to give to it generously of their bounty as Thou hast given to them, that it may flourish for thy Name’s sake, witnessing to the glory of thy Son our blessed Saviour, and fulfilling its mission of training sound men for its ministry and spreading the good news of reconciliation to all mankind; that thy kingdom come and thy will be done through all the earth: all of which we ask in the Name of thy dear Son our blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. Bishop James P. Dees, NC – 1963
Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
Article XIV: Brief Study of Article 14 of the
39 Articles of Religion (below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAgoxMka89g
Bishop Ogles Series on the Parables of Jesus Christ:
The White Sone, Hidden Manna,
And New Name
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62RMVpNb_YM
Sermon Notes for Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Luke 17:11-19 – Gospel Lesson for the 14th Sunday after Trinty
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
How can a man walk in a pure heart? It is only by walking in the fellowship of the Holy Ghost. Today’s lectionary Epistle, Gospel, and Collect brings out this manner of life in brilliant colors. We find a stark contrast in Galatians 5:16-26 between evil of impurity and that of righteousness.
We see how the works of the flesh are in constant struggle with that of the spirit. Even Paul found it necessary to deal with this conflict daily. As our Lord Jesus Christ said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) The temptations of the old sinful nature haunt the Christian daily in His effort to subdue all evil and walk according to the spirit of righteousness so that the things we will to do, we do not do; and those things that we will not to do, those things we do. But, in thankfulness to God, we are judged – not by the outward appearance, but by the inner love and hope of the heart; however, when we consciously yield to do sin, we immediately come under the condemnation of the law and walk not in the spirit. We return to legal bondage thereby, and walk not in the liberty of the spirit of righteousness.
Once we yield to the sins of the flesh, our souls, being in bondage once more to sin, become entangled in every kind of confusion and disarray. Only a small sin, yielded to by the believer, leads greater ones as the desires of the flesh are insidious in their onset – just as we are told in Psalms,
“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) When the righteous deign to walk in the company of ungodly others, they will soon find themselves standing with them in fellowship and, finally, making themselves at home with those who scorn the Word of God.
But what is the fruit of the Spirit? “Love, Joy, and Peace.” The complications of a sinful life are subdued by the heart that is diligent before God to do His will and not the old self-will of the flesh. When we are at peace with God, we will find ourselves at peace with ourselves. No longer are our minds troubled with a relentless sense of guilt.
“Long-suffering, gentleness, goodness.” These are the comforts of a settled home, circle of warm friendships, and the sure knowledge that goodness overcomes evil.
“Faith, meekness, temperance.” These prepare the believer for his daily walk and work in the world. Faith in knowing that righteous living will bring benefits of love and blessings from Heaven rules the heart. Avoiding prideful arrogance in our treatment of others and the unfeeling and hurtful disposition through self-control of irrational emotions in our dealings with them. Against such, there is no law! Why, because walking in the Spirit of God unbinds us from the bondage of the law (as says Martin Luther).
In the Gospel of St. Luke 17:11-19, we find ten men afflicted by the deadly blood disease of leprosy whose greater affliction was the blood disease of original sin inherited from our ancient father, Adam. These men were ostracized from civil society just as sin separates us from God and righteous fellowship. In their physical pain, they called out to Jesus for mercy – only for mercy, for when we have the mercy of Christ, our pain will also be taken away. They stood afar off in their beckoning just as did the publican who stood afar off at the Temple and pleaded to God, “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:13) You can be sure, the sin-affliction of the publican was far worse than any fleshly disease for it had eternal consequence.
It is interesting to observe how our Lord dealt with these lepers. He simply told them to “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” This informed the lepers that they were healed and should be so declared by the priests in order to return to social living. These men obeyed immediately and, immediately as well, discovered that their flesh had become as clear as that of a new born baby. Nine continued to the priests since physical recognition of their physical healing was of greater significance than was gratitude to the One who had shown mercy on them. But one of the lepers, when he saw that he was healed, was overcome with gratitude and could not proceed without first returning thanks, praise, and worship to the Lord who had healed him.
For the benefit of the onlookers, Jesus refers to this suppliant as a “stranger.” We are told that he was a Samaritan, a race despised by the Jews, yet the only one of the ten that returned to express gratitude to the Lord.
We often draw flimsy and imaginary lines between social classes and that which we feel differentiates us from the common sinners; yet, it is often the stranger among us, shunned by the crowd of sophisticates, that has responded in a deeper level to the platitudes of our Lord, than those whose privilege should have given them greater privilege to do so.
The Prayer of Collect for the 14th Sunday after Trinity provides a suitable summary of those principles revealed in both the Epistle and the Gospel texts:
Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We are to seek growth in grace so as to be fore-armed against the temptations of the flesh. By growing in grace and love, we grow in the spiritual nature of Christ.
I leave you with this counsel of our Lord Jesus Christ: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment,” (John 7:24), and what is righteous judgment? It is recognizing sin as those things that God has called sin and not the opinions of the accusers.
In Christ Alone during Season of TRINITY,
† Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop.
AnglicanOrthodox Communion Worldwide & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary
Let us carefully observe how little good they do who attempt to mix up evangelical preaching and a ritual ceremony. Little, did I say? – they do no good at all! The world is never won by trimming and compromising, by facing both ways, and trying to please all. The cross of Christ is never made more acceptable by sawing off its corners, or by polishing, varnishing, and adorning it. Processions and banners, and flowers, and crosses, and excessive quantity of music, and elaborate services, and beautiful vestments may please children and weak-minded people. But they never helped forward heart-conversion and heart-sanctification, and they never will. Bishop J. C. Ryle, First Bishop of Liverpool, U.K.
“Metus improbo compescit, non clementia.” – Syrus, MAXIMS: Fear, not kindness, restrains the wicked!
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer – HOLY SCRIPTURE:
“If there were any word of God beside the Scripture, we could never be certain of God’s Word; and if we be uncertain of God’s Word, the devil might bring in among us a new word, a new doctrine, a new faith, a new church, a new god, yea himself to be a god. If the Church and the Christian faith did not stay itself upon the Word of God certain, as upon a sure and strong foundation, no man could know whether he had a right faith, and whether he were in the true Church of Christ, or a synagogue of Satan.”
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold – Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and talked, as is oft the case, of the need for action, not simply diction.
Consider the words of the Collect, “…give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command …”
The Collects often are repetitive, in that we pretty much ask the same thing week after week. Why are they so repetitive? Well, we are imperfect creatures with free will and struggle with the same problems week after week. We find ourselves needing to turn to God and the Holy Spirit in order to help solve our same problems week after week. This is why the Collects are repetitive to help us through those struggles. We find ourselves in need of the Holy Ghost in order to maintain the course guidance that God has charted for us.
We are praying for the increase of faith, hope and love, so we can maintain that course guidance. Just like Paul says, if we do not have these qualities in us, it is impossible for us to stay on course. We need to realize that we cannot do this journey alone, but via the help of God, and the Holy Ghost. Without the Holy Ghost we can never make it to our desired destination, unending eternal life with God and our family who have gone before. The Holy Ghost is our infallible navigation aid that we must trust and do our very best to follow. If we will listen to the Holy Ghost, we will be able to avoid getting caught up in the strife and cares and riches and general influence of this World.
Paul lists out the actions that are the works of those who are still under the influence of this world or the flesh, i.e fornication, heresies, strife, envying etc. If we are truly people of God, then we will not have those qualities and will do our best to quell them. These are qualities that will draw us towards the wide downhill road towards the pit and away from the narrow uphill trail towards the summit of heaven. Those are all qualities that make us worse human beings and draw us further away from God and not nearer to Him. Then he lists out the qualities of those who are of the spirit, long suffering, peacefulness, good faith, gentleness meekness etc. These are the qualities that if we let the Holy Ghost into our hearts we will have.
It is only by having the qualities of faith, hope and charity that we are able to follow God and to do His Will. Without the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we will be unable to follow God and as a result we would have less happier lives. We have to make the effort to let the Holy Ghost in and shine his light in our hearts and drive out the bad qualities and let the good qualities in. The good qualities will not only help us to serve God, but make us a lot more pleasant human beings to be around. As hard as it is to admit, we all have bad qualities as well as good qualities and we need to have the Holy Ghost assist us in driving out our bad qualities while enhancing our good qualities.
These qualities will improve not just our spiritual but our physical lives immensely. The bad qualities can take a toll on our physical body not just our spiritual selves. The good qualities will do the opposite, will have a positive effect on our physical body and spiritual selves. These good qualities will have a rejuvenation effect on us. It is in our best interest to do our best to follow God, and we will not only help Him by doing so, but helping our selves at the same time.
In order to perform action actions to serve Him, we need the Holy Ghost. However, the question is who will listen to the Holy Ghost? The only people who listen are those who are in need, hurt, pain and despair. Often it is because they, or one of their loved ones, are ill or injured, perhaps near death. Or one of their loved ones have recently passed away and it has turned the world as they know it upside down. Perhaps they are unemployed or undergoing some family upheaval. Their situation is less than perfect. They need help and they know it. In their own mind, they are the Samaritans of this world. It is no accident Jesus’ parables and stories center on actions, not words, thoughts and meditations. We need to retrain ourselves to ask for His Help before we are in need, pain or despair. The Holy Ghost can help us retrain ourselves, if we will but let Him in. Actions show who you truly are. Actions show the world who you follow, God or Mammon. You are not truly be a believer if you don’t act for Him. Without action, there is nothing. The key driving principle behind his parables are actions for Him, are those of goodness, not of evil. Those who believe on me keep my commandments.
Actions!
Yet, those who turn to God in “need” are no different than each of us. To quote Paul, “None are perfect, all fall short.” We, each and every one of us, need God’s help. Perhaps some need it more, none need it less.
When Luke tells us of Jesus and the ten lepers whom He heals and only one expresses thanks, do you think he is only telling of lepers? It is a metaphor for us. When things go wrong, we often blame God. When things go right, oh weren’t we so clever? All too often, when God assists us, we do not turn back to Him in thanks, but merely go on our way and credit ourselves for being so smart. One of the lessons is that when God helps us in our lives, we should always take the time to give thanks to Him who helped us and created us.
Through our Lord, God is there for each of us if we will accept His help. When He gives that help, how do we react? Frankly most of us just think it our due. We oft fail to give thanks for all that He gives us.
When we get an answer we don’t expect, do we thank Him? What if we get an answer? Do we thank Him?
Like the lepers only one in ten will show thanks for the mercy and help given them. Rarely do people give thanks for large efforts done to help them. We must endeavor to be grateful for Him and for all of those who strive hard to help us out in our times of need. In the case of the lepers, it was the Samaritan[1], showing that fancy dress and rules are not as important as doing what is right and being grateful for what we are given.
Are you part of that 10 percent?
Remember, it is Please and Thank You that are the magic words, not Please and I don’t have time for you.
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
Yves M. Méra
Presiding Bishop – AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
We are fortunate to have a sermon from the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church of France and the Administrative Coordinator of Europe and Africa. As you will read, he is an excellent writer. The sermon is easy to read and provides much insight.
SERMON for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
LIVING FOR GOD
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
One in ten… ten percent of Christians live for God. How about the others? Nine out of ten, 90%, are spiritually dead. The churches are filled with corpses. I am not talking about the tombs of dignitaries who can be buried there, but about the faithful, regular worshippers, but notorious non-practitioners in their daily lives, as Paul denounces them in his Epistle to the Galatians, whom he criticizes for living according to the flesh and not to the Spirit of God. They are like those nine lepers who were healed at a distance by our Lord Jesus Christ, and yet went on their own way as before, whereas only one, a Samaritan despised by the Israelites, was converted to Christ by changing the direction in his life to come back to Christ, praising and thanking God for His greater blessings and smaller benefits. He really and concretely considered Christ as THE Lord.
Faith is indeed trusting in God to the point of letting Him take the direction of our lives, whether it is our big affairs or our tiny daily worries. When we fly, we trust the pilot to take us to the heights of the sky and land us safely. We submit to his will, without recrimination, because he decides to disembark a sick passenger or to have an engine that refuses to start properly serviced, each time causing a delay of a few hours. This pilot watches over us, and does not throw tantrums: he respects the flight instructions himself, and always acts for our greatest good.
Is Jesus Christ the pilot of your life, the captain of your boat? If the captain of the Titanic had listened to the warnings given to him by radio about the danger of icebergs drifting in his direction, instead of walling himself up in pride and doing as he pleased, the Titanic would not have sunk and turned into a marine graveyard. Christ is the only good Master, and we would be wrong not to submit to His will, expressed in the first place in the Gospel and the other inspired texts of the New Testament, containing all kinds of warnings. We see too many so-called Christians ignoring the poor, being harsh with the weak and hypocritical with the powerful. This is a regrettable counter-witness that has distanced many from the Church, from the Word of God, and from faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Another fault of these façade Christians is their habit of imposing their traditions, rites and habits on others, with an unforgivable spirit of judgment, since they forgive nothing to others. In Corinth, Jewish converts claimed to circumcise Christians coming from paganism, to make them Judeo-Christians in accordance with the Law of Moses (Galatians 5:2,6): “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” The devil hides in details, even in our intimacy.
Paul therefore insists on the witness and discernment of the spirits (Matthew 7:16-20): “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” One of two things: either the behavior of Christians, and in the first place of their pastors, is in accordance with the gospel of Christ, and then run to listen to them, or it is not, and then flee away from them as far as you can. Why do so many Christians crowd with deviant preachers? Simply because they like to hear what pleases them, flatters them, and comforts them in their evil way (2 Timothy 4:3-4): “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
As for us who have the Spirit of Christ, let us be content with what is written in the Bible, including the Epistles of Paul (Galatians 5:16-17a): “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other…” What is in conformity with the Gospel in “… Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like “? “… they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5/19b21a, c).
A good witness is noted in “… love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance…” (Galatians 5:22). This is the fruit of the Spirit, and there is only one Holy Spirit, the third divine person of the Holy Trinity and God Himself (Galatians 5:25): “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Let the “Holy Spirit” pilot lift us up on the wings of faith in Jesus Christ, our only Savior and Lord. But let us not boast of a superiority – real or feigned – that does not come from God and only serves to discourage the young sheep of the Lord who are still weak and walk behind the flock in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd (Galatians 5:26): “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”, Paul said again.
When Christ ascends the mountain on which Jerusalem is built to be sacrificed as the Passover Lamb, he follows the border between the Galilee of the Israelites and the Samaria of their heartfully hated cousins. Inevitably, He will meet people from both populations (Luke 17:12): “And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off” The Law of Moses required lepers to keep away from the healthy, so as not to contaminate them (Leviticus 13:45-46): “And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.” The lepers, Jews and Samaritans altogether, scrupulously apply the Law of Moses: they keep their distance from the Master, while praying that He heal them of their impurity. The Law of Moses does not cure them of leprosy, nor does circumcision save them. (Luke 17:13): “And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” And why then do they make this unanimous request to Him? Because they are all affected by the same evil; they are lepers, all ten of them.
All men are unclean before God, until God purifies them through baptism by imparting to them a share of His Spirit of Truth. All men are unrepentant sinners until they repent and do penance. All men should cry out to God, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” All men should fill the churches to hear the preaching of the Word of God, which alone can restore them and put them back on the right path of truth and charity. But the vast majority do not want to, or do not dare, for fear that their illness will be revealed in public. It feels uneasy when a new convert proclaims the list of his sins before a Baptist congregation. Is it not better to keep quiet about evil and speak of the good things such as the acts and word of God? Why give so much publicity to Satan? Is it not enough to read the Bible to know what ignominies sinners are capable of? Let us not advocate for the devil, let us keep silent about evil, but let us preach the Word of God that sets us free from all evil (John 8:31-32): “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” By converting, one turns the page and buries the past deep into the ground (Galatians 6:15): “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” And it is not by blessing evil, nor by marrying bicycles (yes: 2 pedals) that we get new creatures in the end. This can only be done by conforming to the gospel of Christ. So, it is the Gospel that must be proclaimed, not sin. This is the reason why the Book of Common Prayer excludes scabrous passages from public readings, in order to avoid giving unhealthy ideas to the congregation, to the weakest and to children.
Let us preach Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ crucified. Where do you see written in the Gospel that Christ required a confession other than spontaneous? Even Zacchaeus did not reveal everything about his crimes. He could have said: I extorted so-and-so from so much money, deceived so-and-so about his rights, stole the cloak of Lazarus, the poor man’s sheep (2 Samuel 12:4): “And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.”, I had Naboth killed to take his vineyard (1 Kings 21/13-16): “And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it”, etc. No, Zacchaeus simply said, “and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” (Luke 19:8c), period. And even to the adulterous woman, Jesus does not ask to reveal the details of her previous life, we easily suspect that she lived in sin and lucre. Our Lord simply says to her (John 8:11c): “Go, and sin no more.” This is a word that liberates! The past is crossed out and the penitent is lifted up, inviting her to look further, higher, hoping in the Lord and living in gratitude and fidelity to the divine Master: Jesus Christ, crucified in her place and risen in eternity to manifest her definitive forgiveness, once for all.
Nine lepers healed by the same Jesus Christ persisted on their little way and went to show themselves to the priests, to obtain their reinstatement among the people. Only one took the time to come back to Christ, understanding that there was more than a priest in Christ Jesus. Christ is indeed the eternally living sacrifice that definitively purifies the faithful elect. Christ is God and man. As a man, Christ suffered torture and death; and as God, He overcame this same death by rising again from the dead on the third day. This is what sinners need to hear. This is the sermon that Christian congregations should listen to. All of us need to humble ourselves and always come back to Christ. It is absolutely necessary for us to understand that we all were just prisoners of evil, and Jesus confirms this by commanding us to pray by saying in the Lord’s Prayer: “deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13) How can you deliver free men? That would be pushing open doors! If we ask to be delivered, it is because this world is a prison of which Satan is the jailer. Let us therefore have compassion on the prisoners of the devil by teaching them the Truth that frees from evil: The Gospel of Truth.
Then we will be able to say to those who repent, this liberating word that our Lord Jesus addressed to the only leper (a Samaritan, on top of all) who came to thank and praise Him after having recognized that Christ is God: “And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” Yes, the grace of God fell on this leper Samaritan on his way to show himself to the priests of the Temple in Jerusalem – not on the others, even though they were healed at the same time as him, and in the same manner. And it was certainly not an effect of his own will, but a result of divine election, if he “… fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks…” (Luke 17:16). And the others didn’t? As Israelites, no doubt they thought that God’s blessings were in store for them only. They took their healing as a due, or a benefit they deserved, as sons of Abraham and scrupulous observers of the Law of Moses. But if they were healed, they were not saved. Let us beware of a mystical religiosity that would make too much room for miracles. Rather than ostentation and the spectacular, our Lord Jesus Christ prefers discretion and intimacy of heart (Luke 17:20b-21): “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” It is in the hearts of believers. Let’s not just believe. Let us live for God in gratitude, praise, hope, and obedience. This will be our life of faith, and our best Christian witness. Amen.
Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France.
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi – 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.
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
In our first lesson (Jeremiah 7:11), the prophet Jeremiah chided the people of Jerusalem and Judah with a question: Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? (7:9) To a godly person, the logical answer would be NO. Unfortunately, for both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah the answer was an unqualified YES. We should also understand that those behaviors which were set forth by the prophet are just as much present in our time as they were in the world of ancient Israel. Simply examine the news of our time and you will witness similar behaviors being exercised with depressing regularity. No doubt many could cite current examples of the first three sins. But the last one is just as prevalent as those before it.
In ancient times, polytheism was by far the most popular form of religion. While Noah and his sons held a belief in the one true and living God; nevertheless, after several generations, the monotheism of Noah had degenerated into the polytheism of Nimrod and his descendants. Some may ask why this happened given that Noah and his family knew God and honored him. We need only look to the scriptures as God has supplied us the answer. The Bible tells us that the …imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. (Genesis 8:21) Man is a fallen creature who possesses the spiritual trait of original sin. And as every person knows the difference between good and evil (See Genesis 2:17), so all sinful acts are the result of a conscious choice made by mortals (See Romans 7:7-24). In Exodus 20, God set forth the truth of the matter. He alone is whom we are to worship but not with objects of our own making (See 20:1-6)
However, paganism, with its attendant worship of many gods, quite naturally includes the worship of man-made images and effects (See Isaiah 44:8-17). The apostle Paul warned the Corinthian church in his first epistle concerning the dark forces behind idol worship when he noted …that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice unto devils, and not to God… (1 Corinthians 10:20). He also warned the church in Rome concerning the same when he wrote, 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was dark-ened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (Romans 1:21-23) The apostle John warned his readers in his first epistle to, …keep yourselves from idols, (1 John 5:21) and for the first three centuries of its existence, the church rejected the use of idols and images within the body of Christ.
Unfortunately, as the 5th century dawned, a distinct change had swept over Christendom. As Dr. Jesse Hurlbut explained, “… the triumph of Christianity resulted in… [an] alliance of the state and the church… The ceasing of persecution was a blessing, but the establishment of Christianity as the state religion became a curse.” Dr. Hurlbut then went on to describe how the increase in church membership — which came about because of its official approval by the Emperor Constantine — had opened the way for, “…both the good and the bad, sincere seekers after God and hypocritical seekers after gain…Ambitious, worldly, and unscrupulous men sought office in the church for social and political influence. The moral tone of Christianity in power was far below that which had marked the same people under persecution.”
With the influx of the unconverted pagan masses, it should not be at all surprising to find that idolatry not far behind. Dr. Hurlbut observed that, “The services of worship increased in splendor, but were less spiritual… The forms and ceremonies of paganism gradually crept into the worship. Some old heathen feasts became church festivals with a change of name… About 405 A.D. images of saints and martyrs began to appear in churches, adored, and worshiped. The adoration of the Virgin Mary was substituted for the worship of Venus and Diana…” It was not until the Reformation in the 16th century that the tide of idolatry was briefly stemmed. The new denominations which had formed around the teachings of men such as Martin Luther, John Calvin and Thomas Cranmer rejected the use of images and icons as part of their worship of the Godhead. Alas, such was not the end of the matter. The faithfulness to Scripture which had birthed those churches was not maintained, and by the late 20th century it was not uncommon to find images and statues inside of several of the old Reformation churches.
While indeed there are denominations that have continued to reject the old forms of idolatry, they nevertheless ended up creating a new set of idols without giving the issue much thought. One example that stands out is their reverence and near deification of church leaders from across the ages. It is very troubling to hear basically sound bible Christians identifying themselves by their favorite Christian
teacher or leader rather than by their Lord and Master. The apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians addressed such intramural squabbling when he wrote; Now I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you... (1 Corinthians 1:10)… 12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (I Corinthians 1:12-13)? When it becomes more important to put the doctrines and teachings of other mortals ahead of what our Lord has given us in his word written, then such a one has stepped “beyond the pale” as it were of the Christian faith.
Another example we might consider is any of the new bible versions which lend themselves to a more allegorical approach to understanding Scripture. Satan, that old serpent (See Revelation 20:2) said to Eve in Genesis 3:1 …Yea, hath God said… which led her to eventually sin against the LORD. Satan encouraged Eve to question the validity of God’s word to her and Adam. That success in the Garden has continued to fuel the Devil’s machinery of doubt and skepticism in God’s word ever since. These new translations are often held up as “better and more accurate” in spite of a host of deletions and amendments. The Devil isn’t interested in the furtherance of the gospel of truth, only in its diminution and degradation as the word of God. One bible commentator paraphrased our Lord in St. Matthew 11:28 regarding this very work of evil when he wrote: “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you controversy!” Controversy and confusion are the Devil’s allies in this fight because when people are unsure of the truth, they are open to being pulled away from the truth of God in Christ into every sort of religious cul-de-sac. If your faith becomes a “dead-end” it will be of no consequence to Satan except to give him a laugh. Dead-end Christians are going nowhere.
And further, we have the idol of Political Correctness, or Cultural Marxism, which has been fed by the doubts and controversies of the Devil’s servants in their efforts to seduce the unsuspecting. For if they can cajole or coerce their fellow church members to accept their anti-biblical notions, grave conse-quences will be in the offing. As we’ve already witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, churches which have fallen under the Devil’s influence have undergone quite a number of doctrinal changes, as well as changes in worship practices. These changes have in many ways facilitated the embrace of a number of errant lifestyle choices which are roundly condemned in Scripture, but which are now being practiced and taught as acceptable without shame. In such a condition, the deceived are more numerous than the faithful in Christ which explains how they were thus enabled to lead their churches away from a union with the Godhead and into a union with the world, the flesh and the Devil. Such churches have become harlots (see I Corinthians 6:15). What peril there will be for the members of those churches who will neither seek to reform them, nor leave them if they cannot be changed. The Bible teaches us to, 16Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. We are to …17come out from among them, and be ye separate… (II Corinthians 6:14-18). And our Lord reminded his hearers that, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (St. Matthew 7:21)
Thus far, we have confined our examination of idolatry to the realm of the church. But what about the secular world around us? That world is inundated with every form of depravity and licentiousness. Under the rubric of entertainment— satellite, cable, etc.— you cannot help but witness its message and methodology. Simply select any channel you wish to view and there it is. Everything from commercials to movies, from sitcoms to dramas, all have been written to include behaviors and products which are designed to stimulate the viewer’s appetite for lustful living. It is therefore not surprising to find people worshiping their favorite sports teams and sports figures. They worship and revere politicians who give lip service to their wants and these may occasionally throw them a bone in the form of some benefit or program. And let us not omit the way some view their possessions, and especially their money. Our Lord warned that, No man can serve two masters… (you) ye cannot serve God and mammon. (St. Matthew 6:24) But modern mass man is not reading Scripture. If he attends one of the so-called “mainline” churches he will likely not hear any meaningful exposition of it. And if he attends an evangelical church, all the good preaching in the world will not matter if he does not take to heart what he has heard and then live in accordance with the same.
Idolatry then is the Devil’s answer to what the unregenerate desire in a deity. It is an ersatz god which Satan will one day replace with himself. In his way of thinking — which he impresses upon the minds of the unregenerate— “Why have a God that cannot be seen when you can have one of your own making and quite visible (see Exodus 32:1-4; Daniel 11:31; St. Matthew 24:15; Revelation 13:14, 15)? Why bother with the King James Bible and its clear language which expresses God’s commands when you can adopt one of my versions which will better suit your particular point of view (see I St. Peter 1:15-21)? Why have a set of laws that are so confining and judgmental when you can follow your own path and set your own course (see Romans 3:10-12; St. Jude 11)? Why have a Saviour who is God’s only begotten Son when you can be your own saviour and decision-maker (see St. John 3:16-18)? Why have an eschatology that calls for the resurrection of the righteous, and the translation of the saints who will become the exclusive dwellers of God’s coming kingdom when you can have all people of all religions equally sharing in a future paradise (see I Corinthians 15:20-58; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:4-6)? Why have a theology which speaks of the end of this present world system when you can simply have a change from one age to another with little or no fuss (see II St. Peter 3:1-13)?
As we have seen, there are many forms of idolatry and all of them are violations of God’s sacred law. The First and Second Commandments call on the faithful to hold to the Godhead against all other so-called deities. Therefore, let us live in obedience to the expressed will of God and avoid every form and
appearance of evil by rejecting idolatry in all its manifestations. And let us give to our good and gracious God all the glory, laud and honor he rightly deserves in the manner he has commanded.
Let us pray,
O gracious Father, help us, we pray thee, to keep to the true faith and resist the temptation to regard any thing, or any person as being of greater importance than thee, the one true God; for this we ask the name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul’s Anglican Church
Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Sermon on the Gospel Lesson for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“Thy faith hath made thee whole”
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks:…(Luke 17:11-16)
What shall we then say? Our Gospel reading is so pertinent to the prevailing attitude of the day. “Give me stuff, give me gifts, give me or in the vernacular ‘gimme gimme, gimme’.
We read about ten very unfortunate men. They had nothing but the clothing that they wore, most likely castoffs from a local dump. These fellows were traveling together because according to custom they were not allowed to come into any village or city, because they were lepers. Without going into great detail, leprosy first disfigures the person who is afflicted and then slowly takes their life. This process can last several years. It is a slow and painful death. At the time there was no cure for it, so anyone who was discovered to have it, had to leave everyone and their village and try to make it on their own. So these outcast banded together for safety and to survive, even if for a while.
There are several lessons I would like you to see here in this story of the ten lepers:
- These lepers knew Jesus could heal them. They called out to him, “Master, have mercy on us” . Why did they know this ? Did Jesus reputation precede him? Most likely. The ten had most likely heard that Jesus healed the sick, and they were sick. They knew to go as Jesus told them and they were healed on the way to be certified clean by the priest. Notice these fellows only wanted to be healed and by being healed they could be restored to their community.
- Here is the irony, only one of the ten thanked God. Those aren’t very good odds. This is the way of the world. Although ten were healed only one came back to thank Jesus who healed them. Do we sometimes not thank God for things he has done for us? Did he not provide his Son as a once and for all sacrifice for our sins? Did Jesus die for our sins? Let us not be as the nine and turn our backs upon our very savior, we must turn and give thanks for the great gift of salvation from God.
- The one leper knew that Jesus was God. Notice how he reacts to being healed. He turns back and in a loud voice glorifies God. Then he falls at Jesus feet and gives thanks. Note what Luke indicates, this one grateful healed leper was a Samaritan. A sworn enemy of the Jews, an outcast, one who was already considered unclean because he was a half-breed. Half Hebrew and half pagan. And yet this was the one who returned to Jesus, proclaiming him God by glorifying God. He, the rejected, knew he was healed by the healing word of the Master, came back to him to praise him and thank him and worship him.
16…and he was a Samaritan. 17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger 19And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 17: 16-19)
- We are all strangers at one time in our life. Before one comes to the Lord seeking salvation, they are in all respects, a stranger. We are estranged from God because our sin keeps us from being part of the Kingdom. Now notice how this is rectified when Jesus becomes our Savior. “18He said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” When we step away from the world and seek His way, we will be saved by our faith. Our faith will make us whole.
So listener, if you do not know the Lord Jesus as your savior, you must seek him. Call out to him, ask him to save you from your sins. Repent from your sins, turn from the death that awaits all sinners and ask Jesus to save you, “….your faith will make you whole”. Jesus will take you into his Kingdom, where you will live for ever in His peace.
Let us pray:
O SAVIOR of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us; Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord. THE Almighty Lord, who is a most strong tower to all those who put their trust in him, to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey; Be now and evermore thy defence; and make thee know and feel, that there is none other Name under heaven given to man, in whom, and through whom, thou mayest receive health and salvation, but only the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
UNTO God’s gracious mercy and protection we commit thee. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, both now and evermore. Amen.
Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
Rev Stephen Cooper Church of the Redeemer Fairbanks, Alaska
From time to time we are fortunate to receive a sermon from Rev Cooper in Fairbanks Alaska. The head of our northernmost church, Stephen is a brilliant and inspiring speaker. I wish we had video of him rather than just audio; but I am confident you will enjoy this. This sermon is for last week. Please take the time to listen to it.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity:
Click Link to watch and listen: (left) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT8pFgXf5Yw
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity: (below)
Click below for 1th Sunday after Trinity
AOC Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu, Tom, Craig, Jack & Dru Arnold, Roberto & Bianca, Jim, Dotty, Sandra, Madison & Hilda, Steve, Josh Morley, Jennifer
AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Genie, Bishop Zephaniah
Prayer Needed:
Dan – ICU – Blood Sepsis
Jeff – prostrate issues
Katie Pope – Just beginning treatment for Stage 4 Puminary Carcinoma “Is anything to hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
The Awiti Family for the loss of their mother
Jan Jessup – Neuro-dementia and her husband, Roger
Bobby and Vikki Breland – the loss of their daughter
Michael – and his two children who are worried, upcoming biopsy for lesion on throat, 9-5-24
Bishop Zephaniah – Medical Issues with his kidneys, procedure coming up
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms – Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.
Linda – 20 Years with Multiple Myeloma, back in remission but now has Covid – 8 days – she is home
Malcom Allred – Cancer Treatment
Praise reports:
Jim Kniffen – returning to work this week, pray for ongoing recovery knee replacement
[1] Samaritan – Of or pertaining to Samaria, in Palestine. — n. A native or inhabitant of Samaria; also, the language of Samaria. [1913 Webster]
Samaritans were descendants of those who had stayed behind during the Captivity and had been separated for many years from the body of Judaism. They had not developed, nor did they subscribe to them, all the rules the Jews managed to invent during their separation. The main body of Jews viewed them as lesser peoples, not really Jews.
