Sunday, May 30, 2015 Trinity Sunday

Psalm, Chapter 33, Verse 8

Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all who dwell in the world show him reverence.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

2 Corinthians, chapter 7, verse 11

For behold what earnestness this godly sorrow has produced for you, as well as readiness for a defense, and indignation, and fear, and yearning, and zeal, and punishment. In every way you have shown yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

Friday, May 29, 2015

Mark, Chapter 11, verse 18

The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it and were seeking a way to put him to death, yet they feared him because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.

This was after Jesus had overturned the money changers tables. The priests were not afraid of the man Jesus, for they did not know or care if He was the messiah. They only respected money, power, or the ability to sway or manipulate the crowd.

In this chapter of Mark’s gospel he also included the story of the fig tree. The fig tree was cursed by Jesus before He entered the temple because it although was healthy and looked as if it held much fruit was barren. After the incident in the temple the same tree had withered and died because it did not produce. It did not live up to its created purpose.

Mark records it thus, “Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen; it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”

A man then who believes, without fear, and has total faith can move mountains; go therefore with all faith and produce the fruit for which you were created.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.  Marianne Williamson. 

In today’s book study of Character is Destiny[1] we will be examining the character traits exemplified by Lord Nelson who was the personification of a person who displays the characteristic of RESPONSIBILITY. Lord Nelson was a man who did not play small he took to heart the adage that to be responsible one must respond with their ability (response/ability). Sometimes he disobeyed orders when he knew there was a better and smarter way to defeat the enemy; he had all faith and all courage. McCain said of Lord Nelson that he was, “The bold and brave admiral who taught men how to fight and made the British Navy the most powerful in the world”

Nelson was known for his creative disobedience that is the courage to disobey if the situation was warranted. Nelson never just ran head long into battle. No if he disobeyed it was daring and would not have wasted the precious lives of his men. His men knew this and they had the greatest trust and regard in him. Lord Nelson also had the greatest affectionate regard for those with which he served. His men loved him and followed him into battle.  


Next week we will be examining the DILIGENCE of Winston Churchill.

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[1] McCain, John and Salter, Mark. (2005) Character is destiny. Random House, New York

Thursday, May 28, 2015

2 Corinthians, chapter 7, verse 5

For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—external conflicts, internal fears.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

2 Corinthians, chapter 7, verse 1

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God. 

Tuesday, May 26. 2015

2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 11

Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we are clearly apparent to God, and I hope we are also apparent to your consciousness.

Monday, May 25, 2015 Memorial Day

1 Corinthians, chapter 16, verse 10

If Timothy comes, see that he is without fear in your company, for he is doing the work of the Lord just as I am.

Sometimes God chooses a person to do his work that is not a winner of the popularity contest. Timothy seems to be one of these. Even Christ Himself was disdained when only the 12 remained. Therefore have courage if you are doing the work of the Lord and you are not winning everyone’s BFF.

Today is Memorial Day and we honor those who have paid the supreme sacrifice of devotion to our nation. Pray today for the souls of those taken in battle. In the communion of saints it is our duty; no our honor to pray for the souls of those in our company who have died; especially those who have passed through the valley of fear in the heat of battle.

While stationed in Mons, Belgium there is the legend of the Angels of Mons, where it was reported the British soldiers were saved by heavenly forces.

One thing is certain: There are no atheists in foxholes.

Sunday, May 24, 2015 Pentecost Sunday

John, Chapter 20, verse 19:

¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Saturday, May 23, 2015

1 Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 27

27 No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. 

Paul is telling us that as Christians we must set the example and be all things to all. We must as is sometimes attributed to the sayings of St. Francis, “preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words.”

This is the first premise of leadership. As leaders, especially Christian leaders, we must demonstrate the Be, Know and Do attitudes of Christ. That is we must become an “Alter Christus” or another Christ. We must BE to others as Christ would. We must KNOW spiritual principals as Christ does and we must act or DO in the world as Christ would.

This week in our book study of Character is Destiny[1]  we will be studying the character traits exemplified by Lord Nelson who was the epitome of a person who displays the characteristics associated with having the trait of RESPONSIBILITY.

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[1] McCain, John and Salter, Mark. (2005) Character is destiny. Random House, New York

Friday, May 22, 2015

Psalm, Chapter 103, Verse 11

11 For as the heavens tower over the earth, so his mercy towers over those who fear him.

(Novena to the Holy Spirit)

The earth is indeed blessed among all the planets in our solar system because of our heaven. As the heavens have made the earth a garden rich with life like so is God over those who are faithful and love Him.

In today’s gospel our Lord asks Peter if he loves Him three times.  One time for each of the times Peter denied our Lord on the eve of His crucifixion thus nullifying Peter’s denials and restoring him. Christ asks Peter with each affirmation to 1) feed His lambs 2) tend His sheep and 3) feed His sheep.  I see a connection between Christ’s institution of Peter’s leadership and our book study of leadership in Character is Destiny.[1]

First Christ asks Peter if he loves Him more than the others thus establishing Peters leadership on love (Mother Theresa). Next Christ tells Peter to feed His lambs to give them a core of strength. If we wish to develop strength in ourselves and others it is imperative that we give hope, confidence, a work ethic (industry), confidence, resilience, self-control and courage to the lambs in our charge.

Secondly Christ asks Peter to “tend His sheep” or that is to give a firm purpose to direct their efforts to create the Kingdom of God. In our book study likewise over the next six weeks we will be examining people who best portrait the traits of idealism, responsibility, diligence, righteousness, cooperation and citizenship.

Lastly Christ asks Peter to “Feed His sheep” by having an understanding heart and to be compassionate, faithful, merciful, tolerant, forgiving and generous which we will study in the following weeks.

Today we will be looking at the idealism of Sojourner Truth who was a slave who became an abolitionist and a women’s rights activist. Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree in 1797 in Ulster County, New York. Sojourner’s first spoken language was Dutch which caused her a great deal of suffering when her ownership as a slave was transferred to an English speaking master that took rods heated to beat her with because she couldn’t speak English.  The scars from this beating stayed with her till her death. Eventually Isabella was freed by the efforts of Quakers and a kindly Dutch family (Van Wagener) who hated slavery.  Eventually Isabella changed her name to Sojourner Truth after God told her to and took up a wandering ministry where her ideals on freedom as a religious and oppressed former slave and woman were put to test.

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[1] McCain, John and Salter, Mark. (2005) Character is destiny. Random House, New York

Thursday, May 21, 2015 Eve of the Feast of St. Rita

1 Corinthians, chapter 2

3 I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, 4 and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Wednesday, 20 May,2015

Romans, Chapter 13, verse 3-4

3 For rulers are not a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil. Do you wish to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive approval from it, 4for it is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer.

(Novena to the Holy Spirit)

What we are talking about here is blind obedience or loyalty. Paul concludes that believers are to render obedience to governing authorities and by doing so they render obedience to God from whose power all authority comes. Paul deduces that kings and magistrates rule by consent of God, but it is the responsibility of these authorities to make just ordinances and to enact laws that support decency. Caesar is not entitled to obedience when such obedience would nullify God’s prior claim to the believer’s morality.

We see this reflected in the Declaration of Independence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident:

That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. 

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Romans, Chapter 8, verse 14-15

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”

By the sacrifice of Christ, we are the adopted children of God, who feared none, and by whose sufferings and glory we share; by reason of the Holy Spirits presence within us. We are thus giving us a new life and relationship with God.

(Novena to the Holy Spirit)

To some is giving the gift of tongues. To which many years ago (40 to be exact February 1975) at the birth of my first born daughter I had gone to the Gunpowder Inn, in Bermuda, to celebrate her birth, with a couple of Native American friends. At the time I was in the Navy Seabees and we worked together.

When I had got there, all of the sudden, I got an overwhelming feeling that I needed to speak in tongues to P. Graves and I did. I felt stupid and fearful but I spoke to him in languages I knew not and used sign, too.  He told me I used 800 year old languages that only a handful of people knew. The simple message from Christ was that he (P. Graves) who was the last living war chief of the Blackfoot tribe was not to assume his chieftainship and to let his son become chief or otherwise there would be much blood.

I never heard from P. Graves again after 1974 but as far as I know; no Blackfoot, has participated in any Wounded Knee violence.

Wounded Knee: Trouble continues at Pine Ridge

The troubles at Wounded Knee were not over after the siege. A virtual civil war broke out between the opposing Indian factions on the Pine Ridge reservation, and a series of beatings, shootings and murders left more than 100 Indians dead. When two FBI agents were killed in a 1975 gunfight, the agency raided the reservation and arrested AIM leader Leonard Peltier for the crime. The FBI crackdown coupled with AIM’s own excesses ended its influence at Pine Ridge. In 1977, Peltier was convicted of killing the two FBI agents and sentenced to life in prison. To this day, Peltier’s supporters continue to maintain his innocence and seek a presidential pardon for him.[1]

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[1] http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/wounded-knee

Monday, May 18, 2015

Romans, Chapter 3, verse 10-18

10 “There is no one just, not one, 11 there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have gone astray; all alike are worthless; there is not one who does good, [there is not] even one. 13 Their throats are open graves; they deceive with their tongues; the venom of asps is on their lips; 14 their mouths are full of bitter cursing. 15 Their feet are quick to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery are in their ways, 17 and the way of peace they know not. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

(Novena to the Holy Spirit)

By the gift of Fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear, and supported to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts to the will an impulse and energy which move it to under take without hesitancy the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot human respect, and to endure without complaint the slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation. "He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved."

There is no hope except in Christ; all are broken vessels. Yet, by the gift of fortitude we endure; seeking Him who is our salvation.

As we read in the gospel: Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:31-33)

Sunday, May 17, 2015 Feast of the Ascension

Acts, Chapter 27, verse 29

29 Fearing that we would run aground on a rocky coast, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come.

Today is the Feast of the Ascension; the day our Lord went to the Father. The disciples were heartbroken but He promised them that He would send the Holy Spirit (Novena to the Holy Spirit) saying it is better for us that He leave us so we may receive power from on high. The first gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of Holy fear; to respond to God’s love as a son or daughter rather than a servant.

As I reflect on this message personally I see that I have been enabling my youngest (23) of seven children and I have had some consternation over leaving with his step mother to visit her family on the other side of the country but I think it would be better for him (my son) if I go; it will give him a chance to grow. I will however endeavor to keep up this daily blog.

Reflect on today’s gospel, where is the Lord asking you to GO and when you go remember to take four anchors with you; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.