We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. Hebrews 6:19 - 20 NIV
Church of Our Lord Newsletter October 2013 Editor: Lynne Damant email: fmdamant@shaw.ca
Producer: Richard Montgomery
THE MOST SINGABLE OF POETS Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back, Guilty of dust and sin. The opening lines of George Herbert’s most famous poem, LOVE lll, have charmed and delighted people all over the world. This Anglican clergyman died 500 years ago, but he is recognised as one of the most important of the British devotional lyricists and is still enormously popular. Born in Powys, Wales, on April 3, 1593, George Herbert was one of 10 children. The Herbert family was titled, wealthy and artistic, and influential in government. Clergyman and poet John Donne stood in as George’s godfather after Lord Herbert died when George was 3 years old. George Herbert received a good education that led to his holding prominent positions at Cambridge University and Parliament for a while. His early interest in ordained ministry was renewed however, and. in 1630, in his late thirties he gave up his secular ambitions and took holy orders in the Church of England, spending the rest of his life as the rector of the little parish of Fugglestone St Peter with Bemerton St Andrew, near Salisbury. He was noted for his unfailing care for his parishioners, bringing the sacraments to them when they were ill, and providing food and clothing for those in need. Henry Vaughan, a younger contemporary Welsh metaphysical poet, described George Herbert as "a most glorious saint and seer." Herbert wrote almost exclusively what is called meditative or devotional poetry: making love to God. Nearly all of Herbert’s English poetry is found in The Temple, which is not simply a “collected works” but a
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coherent recreation of the poet’s spiritual life, imagined as a process of discovering how to love God. According to Isaac Walton’s Life of George Herbert, shortly before his death, Herbert asked a friend, Arthur Woodnoth, to deliver the manuscript of The Temple to a mutual friend, Nicholas Ferrar, and spoke to him thus: “Tell him, he shall find in it a picture of the many spiritual conflicts that have past betwixt God and my Soul, before I could subject mine to the will of Jesus my Master: in whose service I have now found perfect freedom; desire him to read it: and then, if he can think it may turn to the advantage of any dejected poor Soul, let it be made publick: if not, let him burn it: for I and it, are less than the least of God’s mercies.” Let All the World in Every Corner Sing Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King! The heavens are not too high, his praise may thither fly, the earth is not too low, his praises there may grow. Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King! Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King! The church with psalms must shout, no door can keep them out; but, above all, the heart must bear the longest part. Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King! A new biography of George Herbert has just been published: Music at Midnight: The Life and Poetry of George Herbert by John Drury (416 pp, Allen Lane, 25 pounds). A review by Diarmaid MacCulloch in The Telegraph, says, “Herbert was Cambridge’s Public Orator, yet he constantly wrestled with a different vocation, his anguish attested in verse by no fewer than five poems entitled “Affliction.” His ambition told him that if academic life was unconventional for an aristocrat, still more was being a parish priest. Herbert was searching for a genuine pastoral charge, this time in the West Country, which also provided him with a Wiltshire bride.
So Mr and Mrs Herbert settled in a rectory beside the little church of Bemerton, a brisk walk from Wilton House, home of the Earls of Pembroke. There, in the short space of three happy years, before his sickly frame brought him to the grave in his late thirties, Herbert virtually invented the Anglican country parson, both in the last works of his poetic genius and a in a prose meditation on pastoral care which breathes gentle, humourous common sense.” Reviewer Diarmaid MacCulloch says, “I was delighted to discover from Drury that the mystical philosopher Simone Weil described Love III as the most beautiful poem in the world. That nerves me to make the same judgment.” He judges further, “It is not surprising that fine hymns spring from Herbert’s words: ‘Let All the World in Every Corner Sing’; ‘Teach me, my God and King, in all things thee to see’, and ‘King of Glory, King of Peace.’ For those who respond more to music than poetry, Herbert is one of the most singable of poets.” This view is supported by Herbert’s early biographer Izaak Walton who described Herbert on his death bed as "composing such hymns and anthems as he and the angels now sing in heaven.”
KING OF GLORY, KING OF PEACE King of glory, King of peace, I will love thee; and that love may never cease, I will move thee. Thou hast granted my request, thou hast heard me; thou didst note my working breast, thou hast spared me. Wherefore with my utmost art I will sing thee, and the cream of all my heart I will bring thee. Though my sins against me cried, thou didst clear me; and alone, when they replied, thou didst hear me. Seven whole days, not one in seven, I will praise thee; in my heart, though not in heaven, I can raise thee. Small it is, in this poor sort to enroll thee: e'en eternity's too short to extol thee.
A LESSON ON STRESS A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water while leading and explaining stress management to an audience. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'... She fooled them all; "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an Ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... Pick them up tomorrow. 1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue! 2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. 3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. 4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker. 5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague. 6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it. 7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others. 8 * Never buy a car you can't push. 9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on. 10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. 11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12 * The second mouse gets the cheese. 13 * When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. 14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live. 16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once. 17 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box. 18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. 19 * Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY 20 *Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate! (Thank You, Mike Morres!) _____________________________________________
FIVE FOR AN ISLAND by Bishop Rob Badham Marooned on an island for one year! What a catastrophe! What an adventure! What a relaxed holiday! The editor asked me to be the first in a new series telling which books I would choose to have with me on that island? Well, I eventually came up with five books I would like to have with me during this year of sabbatical. The editor tells me I would definitely be provided with The Bible, in my preference of translation and/or paraphrase. This is good. So here are my 5 choices. First I have chosen “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis. Lewis is a profound writer. In his work on “Mere Christianity” Lewis expresses his desire to unite all people of Christian Faith and shows us the fundamental truths of religion. He acknowledges the boundaries that divide Christian denominations and rejects them. In so doing he provides us with a common ground in which to worship God in a personal relationship. This has become an inspiration to me because Lewis depicts such persons as humble, lowly and especially loving. I am still learning to seek God in all my daily activities and in this way I can grow in God’s Grace. When this happens we all speak with the same voice and we recognize others that are doing the same studies as ourselves. This book will give me comfort during my stay in solitude for a year, and then I can return with confidence and assurance that I
and others like me are on the road to seeing the Glory of God in everything that surrounds us, because we are still in the process of being created in God’s image. My second book is a collection of stories in one volume, “He Still Moves Stones –In the Eye of the Storm – Gentle Thunder,’ by Max Lucado. Each one of these gives me a perspective view of life, and my life in particular. I am especially moved by “The Eye of The Storm,” in which Max takes us on a journey from Creation, through the Crucifixion and into the Resurrection of our Saviour. His story telling is so real that I become immersed in it and in so doing I become part of the story; it becomes my story, my salvation and my resurrection, and my joy in once again finding my Saviour Jesus. My third book is “The Practice of the Presence of God.” This is the story of the life and teachings of a 17thcentury monk, Brother Lawrence, and how he found God, told by Father Joseph de Beaufort. Initially, Brother Lawrence went through many trials and tribulations. Because he was not ordained in the Carmelite Order he was welcomed as a lay brother. His work was in washing and scouring pots and pans used for the brothers’ meals. Working diligently in this lowly position, Brother Lawrence discovered something that others had missed. He discovered the presence of God in himself. He dealt with the meal time vessels with humility and passion, for the glory of God. People came from miles around to be with him and absorb the gifts he had been given. This true saint served God in whatever position he was placed. His story has given me inspiration and no matter where God places me, I will be happy to serve him, and hope someday to be like Brother Lawrence in doing this for the glory of God. The fourth book I have chosen is “Miracle in Darien” by Bob Slosser. It is the true story of Terry Fullam. Terry accepted the pastor-ship of a church in Darien, a tiny suburb in Connecticut with one condition, and that was that Christ was to be the true head of the church. This in itself was a remarkable condition and for some of the members of the church it was hard to accept. Some members left. Others agreed to the condition that Terry wanted and in doing so, witnessed the church grow abundantly in members and in spiritual growth. There was such a remarkable turn-around that Terry was asked to participate in other churches. To me this seemed a personal
miracle in itself; this is what God intends for His ministers to accomplish. In Church of Our Lord we have made Christ the head of the church. And so we look forward to discerning what God plans for us and how we can grow spiritually. This book has turned my thinking around - from not what I think God wants me to do; but to ask God what He wants me to do. My fifth book is “Creed or Chaos” by Dorothy L. Sayers. I grew up during the years of World War II with the stories written by Dorothy L. Sayers, and those stories were of Lord Peter Wimsey, an aristocratic detective who solved murder mysteries. I read and re-read all her books and was enthralled with such wonderful detective writing. It was not until later in life that I discovered that Dorothy L. Sayers was also a theological student. She wrote Christian plays for the BBC in England, and she wrote theological studies about the Church of England and where it was heading. She had the foresight to see how Christian faith could survive after the war, but she also prophesied that there had to be many changes in church life for it to work successfully. She based her thinking upon Jesus and how he would act in today’s world. It is a story of courage and determination to be a good Christian in any circumstance. It has given me great inspiration from reading her many theological works and I thank her for her down to earth philosophy. These then are the five books I would choose to occupy my time on an island for one year. Hopefully I would then be rescued, but I would be a different person from he who began this one year isolated sabbatical! _____________________________________________
A PRECIOUS CHILD A nurse on the pediatric ward, before listening to the little ones' chests, would plug the stethoscope into their ears and let them listen to their own heart. Their eyes would always light up with awe, but she never got a response equal to fouryear old David's comment. Gently she tucked the stethoscope into his ears and placed the disk over his heart. 'Listen', she said...'What do you suppose that is?' He drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line and looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap - tap - tapping deep in his chest. Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin and he asked, 'Is that Jesus knocking?' _____________________________________________
THE CREATION A Negro Sermon James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) And God stepped on space, And He looked around and said: I’m lonely— I’ll make me a world. And far as the eye of God could see Darkness covered everything, Blacker than a hundred midnights Down in cypress swamp. Then God smiled, And the light broke, And the darkness rolled up on one side, And the light stood shining on the other, And God said: That’s good! Then God reached out and the light in His hands, And God rolled the light around in His hands Until He made the sun; And He set that sun a-blazing in the heavens. And the light that was left from making the sun God gathered it up in a shining ball And flung it against the darkness, Spangling the night with moon and stars. The down between The darkness and the light He hurled the world; And God said: That’s good! Then God himself stepped down— And the sun was on His right hand, And the moon was on His left; The stars were clustered about His head, And the earth was under His feet. And God walked, and where He trod His footsteps hollowed the valleys out And bulged the mountains up. Then He stopped and looked and saw That the earth was hot and barren. So God stepped over to the edge of the world And He spat out the seven seas— He batted His eyes, and the lightnings flashed— He clapped His hands, and the thunders rolled— And the waters above the earth came down, The cooling waters came down. Then the green grass sprouted, And the little red flowers blossomed,
The pine tree pointed his finger to the sky, And the oak spread out his arms, The lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground, The rivers ran down to the sea; And God smiled again, The rainbow appeared, And curled itself around His shoulder. The God raised His arm and He waved His hand Over the sea and over the land, And He said: Bring forth! Bring forth! And quicker than God could drop His hand, Fishes and fowls And beasts and birds Swam the rivers and the seas, Roamed the forests and the woods, And split the air with their wings. And God said: That’s good! Then God walked around, And God looked around On all that He had made. He looked at His sun, And He looked at His moon, And He looked at His little stars; He looked on His world With all its living things, And God said: I’m lonely still. Then God sat down On the side of a hill where He could think; By a deep wide river He sat down; With His head in His hands, God thought and thought, Till He thought: I’ll make me a man! Up from the bed of the river God scooped the clay; And by the bank of the river He kneeled Him down; And there the great God Almighty Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky, Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night, Who rounded the earth in the middle of His hand; The Great God, Like a mammy bending over her baby, Kneeled down in the dust Toiling over a lump of clay Till He shaped it in His own image; Then into it He blew the breath of life, And man became a living soul. Amen. Amen. (Thank You, Ken Godwin) _____________________________________________
NEVER TOO OLD? Smashing the Age Barrier [The new season of the Cridge Club Thursday Luncheon and Programme enjoyed a scintillating start with Richard Montgomery, our man of so many talents and portfolios, as the first speaker. For some of his talk, “Never Too Old?”—he used material he credited to Australian Christian writer Grantley Morris’s website. His talk was funny, it was challenging and it was inspirational. Part of it is reproduced here for readers of The Anchor to enjoy] “Defeatists say ‘Yesterday’; winners say ‘Yes’ today. It’s too late to lament the past. That’s lost forever. But it’s never too late to move into overdrive. The present is ours to charge with defiant faith. Perhaps you have heard it calculated that John Wesley preached over 40,000 sermons and traveled 225,000 miles (his horse had never heard of kilometers). Did you realize these figures belong only to the latter part of his life, from age 36 to 88? I was impressed; until reading George Muller’s figures. He is said to have traveled 200,000 miles, using his linguistic ability to preach in several languages to an estimated three million people. Now admittedly, Muller traveled extensively overseas. If I had a choice between traveling a thousand miles on horseback or a thousand miles by sailing ship, I’d go by plane. But here’s the spice: Muller’s statistics only began after his seventieth birthday and continued for the next 17 years. Dr. Robert Lowry, renowned for many accomplishments as a Christian musician, first undertook the serious study of music after turning 40. Fanny Crosby was forty-three when she found her life’s work – she wrote her first Gospel song. So many songs followed, under so many different pen-names, that no one could keep track of them. Informed estimates range to beyond 8,000 (some say 9,000), with more than a hundred pseudonyms. Elizabeth Wilson felt the tug of China when she was 20. She arrived thirty years later. Conditions were harsh and dangerous, yet her age proved a treasured asset. The Lord had called her to the Orient, where – as in most societies outside our own - age is honored. In 1968, two middle-aged tourists, florists for over 30 years, were so moved by what they saw in Kenya that they decided to return as missionaries. Denny and
Jeanne Grindall, with no engineering skills or even formal Bible training and very little money, instigated the building of a dam almost 80 foot high and piped the clean water nearly three miles to tribespeople. The Maasai gradually became so responsive to the Grindall’s message that twenty churches were opened and hundreds came to Christ. Cam Townsend, founder of the Wycliffe Bible Translators, flew to Moscow and began learning Russian to assist in Bible translation work in the Caucasus. The nation was still under the iron grip of Communism and he was seventy-two. Evelyn Brand came to India as a young missionary. After her husband’s death she pressed on, living on a pittance, caring for villagers scattered over five mountain ranges. At age seventy-five, Granny, as she was now known, had grown too old for such arduous work. Having fallen and broken her hip, she had to be carried down the mountain by stretcher, and then be driven 150 bone-jarring miles to the nearest hospital. By the time her son – a brilliant medical missionary – finally arrived, she was walking with two canes and managing to ride a pony to outlying villages. The skilled doctor mustered all his persuasive powers to lovingly convince his ageing mother that she ‘presented a constant medical hazard,’ riding horseback to such remote, rugged mountains with her paralyzed legs and deficient sense of balance. Brushing aside his pleas, Granny toiled for eighteen more years, despite being ravaged by tropical diseases and suffering concussions and fractures from falls off her pony. She was ninety-three when she reluctantly exchanged her horse for a stretcher; continuing her work by being carried from village to village by devoted Indians for her two remaining years.” [Editor’s footnote: Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.” Worth pondering! And Scripture promises us God’s loving care even into old age: “Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you (Isaiah 46:4 NIV) I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. (Psalm 37:25) _____________________________________________
MISSION TO WILLIAM HEAD by AGNES DUKE and PAM VUCKSON Prison ministry has been part of my life for just over 12 years. I volunteered to lead an Alpha course at the end of 2000 and had to gather some additional leaders. 5 in total, 2 women and 3 men, headed out to William Head Medium Security Prison in Metchosin in 2001 after going through the “do’s and don’t’s” of security instructions. 20 to 24 smiling men greeted us that first night. Any apprehension we might have had vanished the moment we entered Chapel where our meeting took place. Evenings started with a good hymn sing accompanied by guitar. Some of the words to the hymns were written by the men. I was struck by one hymn which told of being free; it was written by a man who found that with Christ he was free even inside a prison! With this predominantly male choir the singing was most impressive. The initial group of men to begin the Alpha course was a consistent 16 who saw it through to completion in that first session. We discovered that most of them requested a certificate at the end that could be shown when they faced the parole board. This group of men was only a fraction of the approximately 250 at William Head. All these men had entered prison in maximum lock down institutions and certain ones who proved reasonably trustworthy were chosen to go to William Head. Here 5 men lived in each of the houses on the property and each was responsible to cook his own meal and keep his room tidy for the period inspections. Food was available for purchase from a weekly allowance but apparently the choices are not very exciting, so we got into the habit of bringing in fresh fruit and nuts for them. This has now been stopped by ruling authorities back east, probably because some wives, girl-friends or other visitors had abused this practice bringing in restricted items such as drugs. The men are employed in activities like gardening, wood cutting, stone work, cleaning the grounds, wood working, and as drivers to the various locations where visitors are volunteering. These are to get the men ready for when they are paroled or have completed their prison time. We would have loved to have been able to reach the great number who never came inside the Chapel except to pick up a cup of coffee that was always on the go.
The only time we saw these others was when we were invited to pre-Christmas dinners in the gym or occasionally at a concert put on by the men; and at the annual volunteer dinners cooked by the men. I pass the second half of the story over to Pam who joined our group after it was reduced to Kevin and me – but I’ll end with this story: In Chapel one night I noticed Paul, a First Nations 30 year prisoner, holding a Bible over at the bookshelf. I asked him if he had his own Bible … “O yes and I have Jesus in my heart,” he told me. “How did he get there?” I asked … “I opened my mouth and he came in” was his reply! I started ministry at William Head Prison about twelve years ago when Agnes Duke invited me to join her and Kevin Forrest as the team who would take the Alpha courses to the institution. Rose McCann (Deirdre Corcoran’s mother) was part of the original team, but she was travelling to Ireland and not able to go out to the prison for a time. We went out on Wednesday evenings from September through June. At that time William Head was a medium security prison, but a year or two later it was downgraded to minimum security and we lost some of the guys who had been taking our courses. Fortunately, a few of them earned their way to minimum by completing several required courses, and it was great to see them again. Our numbers ranged from 1 regular attendee to 4 or 5 men weekly, in the earlier days of minimum security, with the numbers picking up to 8 men or so of late. Once we had exhausted all 3 Alpha courses (including ‘A Life Worth Living’ and ‘Challenging Lifestyles’) we started to explore other courses we could offer. Typically we would start with prayer at 7:30 pm, watch a DVD, then have some discussion time before having some “hospitality.” We would bring in goodies and have some social time with the guys before leaving the chapel at about 9:15 or so. We followed the 3 Alpha courses with a wide variety of offerings, “The Truth Project,” “The Gospel of Matthew,” several courses by Phillip Yancey, John Ortberg, Andy Stanley, and Louis Giglio. I borrowed several of them from our COOL Library. The Truth Project was so well received that the chapel now has their own copy compliments of Focus on the Family, and the chaplain at William Head has offered the course several
times as new inmates arrive at the institution and some inmates choose to view it again. A month ago we started the newer Alpha course (Campus Alpha is used for prison ministry) with the hope of attracting some nonbelievers to our Wednesday evening sessions. So far, all of our attendees are Christians and about 8 attend per week. Dan Rutherford and two of his friends are coming out as well to William Head for Alpha and Dan is leading the course. There are enough of us with inmates and volunteers to break into 3 or 4 small groups following the DVD for discussion and to pray for each other. This course is 8 weeks long and we have completed 3 sessions so far. We hear amazing stories from some of the guys how they came to Christ – or in some cases, they were Christians who wandered away and came back strongly to their Christian faith in prison. As some have said: “This is what it took for God to get my attention!” I remember the testimony of one of the inmates: he was about to take his own life when he was in a medium security institution, he was so depressed. Another inmate had given him a Bible sometime prior and he used the pages to roll his cigarettes. In his hour of despair, he cried out to God: “If you are there, show me now!” and he opened his Bible and started to read it. God had led him to the exact passage he needed and at that moment he fell to his knees and invited Jesus into his heart. He has never strayed since. Agnes and I keep in touch with our guys once they are released to halfway houses and then to full release. One friend in particular and I have been buddies for several years now since his release. The relationship is very important to both of us. It has always interested me that people think it is so great that we go to William Head to fellowship with our brothers in Christ there. As we know, our God is such an amazing God. It is we who are profoundly blessed in this ministry! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) _____________________________________________
15 BIBLICAL TEACHINGS THAT ARE PRESENTLY HIP TO HATE: http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/30754 15. There is absolute truth about God that is knowable and, in fact, known to all. Certainty about who he is and what is owed to him is not only possible, we have no excuse for the lack of it (Rom 1:18-33). 14. Morality is not relative to ethnic/religious/ geographical context: There is an absolute measure of virtue inscribed by God into every human heart to which all human beings regardless of geographical location or religious education will be held (Rom 2). 13. Human beings are not good (Mark 10:18, Rom 3:1020, Eph 2:1-4) So bad things never happen to good people. 12. God knows all things and sees all things and is not surprised by the future (Job 37:16, Psalm 139). 11. God is sovereign over human decision and human history and nothing takes place apart from his will (Matt 10:29-30).
3. Justifying faith is a gift from God that he is not obligated to give and does not give to all (Eph 1:3-14, Eph 4:1-8, Romans 9). 2. God has established all earthly authorities that exist (Rom 13) including church (Eph 4:9-14) and household authorities (Eph 5:22-33), pastors leading churches, husbands leading families. 1. Christians are called to suffer and take up the cross, not to prosperity, health and wealth (1 Peter 4:12, Mark 4:34-38). (Thank You, Sara Plumpton) [It would be interesting to know from our readers what you think of such a list, whether you agree with the ascribed order of importance, and have you personally had any experiences leading you to say Yes, ? Editor] _____________________________________________ ANSWERS TO WORD SEARCH The August issue of The Anchor contained a Word Search feature in which were hidden 30 words, each of which completed the sentence: THE LORD IS MY …. Here are the answers:
10. Natural disaster, illness, death, disease, famine, cruelty, testify not to God’s limited power or his lack of goodness, but to human sin (Luke 13:1-5). 9. Human beings cannot earn a place in God’s kingdom (Gal 3:10-14). 8. Salvation involves being rescued by God from the wrath of God (John 3:36). 7. Jesus Christ is the way and the truth and the life and there is no other way to the Father but through faith in him (John 14:6). 6. There is no salvation in any other religion, spirituality, morality, philosophy (Acts 4:12, Matthew 28:18-22, (Rom 10:13-17). 5. Hell exists and all who do not repent and turn to Christ will be there forever (Luke 16:19-31; Rev 20). 4. Justification necessarily involves the imputation of Christ’s righteousness (Phil 3; 2 Cor 5:21).
BREAD BUCKLER DELIVERER FATHER FORTRESS GOD GOODNESS HEALER HELPER HORN JUDGE KING LIGHT MASTER PEACE PROPITIATION PROVIDER REDEEMER REFUGE REWARD ROCK SALVATION SAVIOUR SHIELD SHEPHERD SONG SUFFICIENCY TEACHER TOWER VICTORY _____________________________________________
ONLINE MUSICAL PLAYER by JOHN VICKERS
“I WILL RESTORE TO YOU …”
I’ve been asked to introduce you to various aspects of our Church website. One of the newest features and one that has quickly received positive feedback is “Music”. Music for me is part of my daily walk with Jesus.
Editor’s Introduction: In 1976 Lana Rounds became part of the family who were called St. Matthias and then in 2009, Christ the King. For those in Church of Our Lord who may not know her however, here is a small introduction. In the early years, she was part of the Sunday School, the Servers Guild, the Choir, and the Sanctuary Guild. She was a Parish Council member and Vestry Clerk. She was a Synod Rep. But the children’s ministry was Lana’s primary love. Later, her job description included areas such as Pastor Ron’s research assistant and programme facilitator. Lana hears God’s call, and she is there, “holding His people in her heart.” In July, 2010, Lana and her family moved to live in Campbell River. When she comes down to Victoria, however, she worships with us. At the very enjoyable Barbecue under the shady trees in Cridge Park on September 8th, Lana was with us. She and I talked about our first year as the merged Church of Our Lord family. Lana spoke some words which came to my ears as though God was speaking through her! She said:
The site’s music player presents you with a playlist arranged in alphabetical order and presently divided into three sections. Each has its own player/playlist. Clicking on “Music” on the site will open the Praise & Worship player/playlist, as pictured below.
Most songs have the lyrics on them so if you do not know or cannot remember the words you can sing along. My two favourites are the Praise and Worship (as shown above) and the Hymns (shown below). I love our traditional hymns but it is not feasible for me to attend the monthly Cridge Club Classic Hymn sings – so this is a good substitute!
If you would like a particular piece included/removed in this feature please just let me know, either at Church or by email: webmaster28@churchofourlord.org _____________________________________________
“We were obedient to God in that when we left St. Matthias, we walked out with nothing and we never looked back, never challenged the Diocese for the property. I like to think of Luke 9:62 in this matter: Jesus said, ‘No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven.’ We were led from Fairfield to the Quadra area, which was way out of our comfort zone. I think God moved us there to open the doors for Neil van Heerden to come and to begin the wonderful and needed ministry in that area. God then honoured our obedience by leading us into the merger with Church of Our Lord, bringing us back into a setting of a Church building. In Joel 2, God makes this promise to a nation that had to be obedient to Him and when they were, He said: ‘I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten….and ye shall eat in plenty; and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.’ I think that in obedience to His call on the people of the parish who stood up and said we cannot be part of the Anglican Church of Canada, we have had that same promise given to us.” ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
FROM PEW 20
by MIKE DAMANT Lynne and I make several ocean voyages every year. The food is pretty good, accommodations are comfortable, and the seas are usually calm. Okay, they are only ferry crossings to the mainland – but they are ocean voyages. It was one such trip recently which got me thinking about Creation, God’s creation.
We had left Tsawassen and were about to pass between then islands. I was gazing out of the window. The sky was blue with a few fleecy clouds. The ocean a darker blue with little whitecaps, and the islands with their cloaks of trees of varying shades of green fitted right in. It was a lovely scene with every element in harmony with everything else, and I thought, “What a wonderful God we have who made all this perfection.” But then another thought intruded. God made all this from nothing. Genesis 1:2 tells us “The earth was without form and void…” It would be relatively easy for God to copy something in order to make the earth, but He did not. He created the whole thing from a blueprint which only existed in His mind. Not only that, He made it so that every single thing fits together perfectly. Everything we see, touch, smell or hear fits exactly with everything around us. An example: Bees buzz around popping in and out of flowers, gathering pollen and stuff to make honey, which we are inclined to think is made just for us to spread on our hot, buttered toast. But now we read that bees are starting to disappear from the world – their immune systems are being reduced because of insecticides and diseases which human breeding has exposed them to. So sad, no honey! But what the environmentalists are now telling us is – if bees disappear then the pollination of virtually every plant species will not happen and the world will speedily become a barren desert. The longer you think about how all things do work together to make the perfect whole, the deeper one’s awe and reverence for God must be – that all of this came out of His creative mind is overwhelming and to my mind is absolute proof that creation is God’s work. Evolution just cannot match it. To me, the idea that there was a big explosion and things sort of cobbled together by chance is nonsense. Those who deny creation go to great lengths to prove that creation as described in the Bible is just a fairy tale, but they cannot answer the question, ”And so, what
was before the bang?” The answer has to be “Nothing” – just what the Bible says. We must remember that the scribes who wrote the Bible strove to describe an unprecedented phenomenon in language which the readers could grasp. So, the words may not be literally correct, but the concept is sound and valid. Look at what human ingenuity and arrogance have done to the perfect creation and one can see that all our “progress” has damaged the planet to the point where it is close to being in an unrecoverable position. The “Western” way of life – the raising of the standard of living everywhere is creating a colossal consumer society which is on the way to consuming everything. In our arrogant rejection of God and insistence on being masters of our fate we perpetuate the sin of Adam and Eve – that we are in control, because when you think about it, that was the sin – not the eating of the apple, but the insistence on knowing what is best for us without God’s direction. And humanity has never wavered from that. The devil was extraordinarily clever in the temptation. He knew that it would be an everlasting curse on humanity. The people who reject the theory of creation and God are really only insisting that humans know what is good for them without any help and guidance. I am reminded of Psalm 2:1, 2: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed……” and in verse 4, ”He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision….” and then to verse 12 “…..lest He be angry and you perish in the way.” If you read the whole psalm you get the sense of how God regards human disobedience. It is hugely significant for us that Jesus redeemed the repentant not only by being the Pascal Lamb for us but also by His absolute obedience to God – showing what humanity’s path would have been had we remained obedient to God. We would have enjoyed His creation as He made it for us, perfect in every detail straight from His creative mind – the original Garden of Eden. I believe that is what we live on – the original Garden marred only by one act of disobedience and being polluted and destroyed by our ongoing wilfulness. I’m writing this on Thanksgiving Sunday and as we celebrate this festival I’m thinking of the perfection of God’s creation down to its tiniest detail – all made for us. It is really awe inspiring and humbling. Thanks Be to God for His overwhelming love and compassion. _____________________________________________
THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
THE ANGLICAN CALENDAR St. Luke the Evangelist, October 18
A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present “Seven Wonders of the World.” Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes: 1. Egypt’s Great Pyramids 2. Taj Mahal 3. Grand Canyon 4. Panama Canal 5. Empire State Building 6. St. Peter’s Basilica 7. China’s Great Wall While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.” The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have and maybe we can help. The girl hesitated, then read: “I think the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ are: 1.To See 2. To Hear 3. To Touch 4. To Taste 5. To Feel 6. To Laugh 7. And To Love” The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous! _____________________________________________
St. Luke the Evangelist was born in Antioch, Syria; he is generally thought to have been a Gentile; he was a physician by profession (Paul’s Letter to the Colossians (4:14) refers to “Luke the beloved physician”) and a painter or iconographer (the tradition is strong that Luke painted icons of Mary). Luke was with Paul at Philippi; he made the fateful journey with him to Jerusalem; stuck by him during the two years at Caesarea, and shared the voyage and shipwreck on the way to Rome (“Luke alone is with me,” 2 Timothy 4:11). Luke was also a gifted writer, organising his materials creatively and telling his story with clarity and artistry. In his Gospel Luke is the most attentive to reporting the merciful kindness of Jesus toward the poor, the sick, sinners, and the afflicted. Dante called Luke, “the scribe of Christ’s gentleness” because of his emphasis on Jesus’ mercy to sinners and outcasts. It is because of Luke that we know the story of the Good Thief who is forgiven and welcomed by the dying Jesus: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Luke’s continuing work after his Gospel, The Acts of the Apostles, is the only book in the New Testament which continues the story of Jesus into the early church. If it were not for Acts, we would have only isolated pieces of information about the beginning of the church. After the martyrdom of Paul, Saint Epiphanus says that Saint Luke preached in Italy, Gaul, Dalmatia and Macedonia. Others say he went to Egypt and preached in the Thebaid, the region of the Fathers of the Desert. The reports concerning Luke's death are conflicting. Some early writers claim he was martyred, others say he lived a long life. The earliest tradition we have says that he died at 84 in Boeotia after settling in Greece to write his Gospel. His mortal remains were transferred to the Church of the Apostles, built by Constantine the Great at Constantinople, with those of Saint Andrew and Saint Timothy. Some of his relics remain in the Greek monastery of Mount Athos. St. Luke is the only non-Jewish writer in all the New Testament. This magnificent man left an inestimable legacy for posterity, and spent his life in absolute dedication to Jesus Christ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_the_Evangelist
FROM THE EDITOR GIANT CONCRETE ARROWS Giant Concrete Arrows That Point Your Way Across America. Every so often, usually in the vast deserts of the American Southwest, a hiker or a backpacker will run across something puzzling: a large concrete arrow, as much as seventy feet in length, sitting in the middle of scrub-covered nowhere. What are these giant arrows? Some kind of surveying mark? Landing beacons for flying saucers? Earth's turn signals? No, it's The Transcontinental Air Mail Route. On August 20, 1920, the United States opened its first coast-to-coast airmail delivery route, just 60 years after the Pony Express closed up shop. There were no good aviation charts in those days, so pilots had to eyeball their way across the country using landmarks. This meant that flying in bad weather was difficult and night flying was just about impossible. The Postal Service solved the problem with the world's first ground-based civilian navigation system: a series of lit beacons that would extend from New York to San Francisco. Every ten miles, pilots would pass a bright yellow concrete arrow. Each arrow would be surmounted by a 51-foot steel tower and lit by a million-candlepower rotating beacon. (A generator shed at the tail of each arrow powered the beacon.) Now mail could get from the Atlantic to the Pacific not in a matter of weeks but in just 30 hours or so. Even the dumbest of air mail pilots, it seems, could follow a series of bright yellow arrows straight out of a Tex Avery cartoon. By 1924, just a year after Congress funded it, the line of giant concrete markers stretched from Rock Springs, Wyoming to Cleveland, Ohio. The next summer, it reached all the way to New York and by 1929, it spanned the continent uninterrupted, the envy of postal systems worldwide. Radio and radar are, of course, infinitely less cool than a concrete Yellow Brick Road from sea to shining sea, but I think we all know how this story ends (no it has nothing to do with the Wizard of OZ). New advances in communication and navigation technology made the big arrows obsolete, and the Commerce Department decommissioned the beacons in the 1940s. The steel towers were torn down and went to the war effort. But the hundreds of arrows remain. Their yellow paint is gone, their concrete cracks a little more with every winter frost, and no one crosses their path much, except for coyotes and tumbleweeds. But they're still out there! This article was forwarded by to us by Mike Morres. When I’d finished reading it, I was charmed with the romance of it! I could picture those brave, dashing pilots in 1920, skimming along, low to the ground, searching out those bright yellow arrows and million-candlepower rotating beacons , to be sure they were on course, charged with the precious mission of delivering the mail by air! What a time in which to live! And as I pictured all this, another picture came to my mind. Let me describe it to you – and see if you see what I see: God gives us Christians our own “Giant Arrows” and “Shining Beacons” to support us on our Journey of Living a Holy Life. Our First Arrow would be Baptism, where we enter the Church of Christ. The Next Arrows — where we are taught the Christian Faith (the Creeds); the Christian’s Prayer (the Our Father); and the Christian’s Duty (the Ten Commandments). Our Confirmation (where we receive the Laying on of Hands - which goes back to the time of the Apostles, whom Christ himself instructed) would be our Arrow #5. The Service of Holy Communion, the special meeting place fixed by Christ himself, where we meet Him, is our Sixth Bright Arrow. The crucial Seventh Arrow, the Holy Bible, containing the clearest and fullest message from God to us. Keeping close to God in Prayer, this is the Eighth Shining Arrow. Hymns and Songs in which we praise, adore and pray to God, are definitely arrows! The Great Festivals, Christmas Day, Easter Day, Ascension Day, Pentecost, these are all arrows. Our arrows, though, never tarnish or fade, they are with us forever!