Holy Communion Anglican Church
East Greenwich, RI – Standing Firm on Biblical Truth and Christian Tradition
The Baptized live in God’s heart. This is a Christian’s greatest trust. This creates love and in love His People move towards the Triune-God. If God the Father has given His own Son for all who believe, no one can accuse the saints, no one can condemn us, nothing in all creation can separate us from His immeasurable love .
Lent is an opportunity for the renewal of our mind. It is a time to discern God’s will through meditation and prayer. To stay focused on renewal, it will be necessary to put aside the pleasures that distract us.
When speaking in purely physical terms, we innately understand that serious threats require equally serious defenses. But what do we affirm about our adversary, the devil? He “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We would not dare fight a lion with our bare hands! Why then, do we not take the Scripture seriously?
Those of us who have (from an early age) spent our lives being active in Church life know that, as committed disciples of Jesus Christ, this endeavor can be a challenging, growing, difficult, learning and, yes, even a fun, joy-filled experience. These facts provide a snapshot into the reasons why many of us have been showing up at Holy Communion Anglican Church for the service of Holy Eucharist, week-after-week for just about a year now! We deeply desire to live the Christian life together with others who (in this very often hostile world) dare to let it be publicly known that they are Believers in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of the world.
What does it truly mean to be “The Man”? Saint Polycarp (AD 69 – 155), Bishop of Smyrna, whom the Church remembers today, was “The Man” in an entirely different sense: His unparalleled example as a man immovable in his faith and imitation of Jesus’ life.
Beloved, the mystery of the human dilemma can be reduced into just a few words: We are created with an unbreakable approachableness to the Triune-God who made us in the divine image. Indeed, this relationship is the very foundation of our existence. Therefore, Lent is about the Truth and the truth of our very relationship to the Creator.
Who has ever had a job he or she didn’t enjoy? Probably each and every one of us. And this should come as no surprise. Under the curse of sin, we are not promised that work will always be something we enjoy, but we are guaranteed to toil by the sweat of our brow.
Our collect for the First Sunday after the Epiphany, where we recognize the Baptism of our Lord, makes this petition of our Father in Heaven: “Grant that all who are baptized into Jesus’ Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior.” We would do well to pray this prayer earnestly, lest we take our Christian journey too lightly.
The Lord has sustained us through a long year, and we have once again arrived at the Nativity of our Lord. Indeed, for this year in particular, in God’s perfect timing, the celebration of the Incarnation could not have come at a more appropriate time. And it is most fitting for God to use His Church to achieve this end...