Book: Mark

What is “the wisdom from above”? If there is anything lacking in the world today, it is Godly wisdom and openness to reason. The Rev. Galloway urges Christians to cultivate wisdom by clinging to the only things which will endure: Faith, Hope, and Love. Our neighbors are sick because they have no Hope. And because they have no Hope, they have no Faith. And without Faith, Love cannot abide, and other ideologies rush in to fill the vacuum. May Christians today boldly stand upon the wisdom from above!

American Christians are no doubt incredibly disheartened by the myriad moral shortcomings of their political leaders and the march of the authoritarian state against individual and religious freedoms. But we can take heart, for as the Rector reminds us, earthly leaders will always fall short, but God in Christ will never fail us or let us down.

Christians around the world today have much to be concerned about, from a worldly perspective, but the Rev. Galloway encourages us that Christ has won the victory over the world, and so Christians can remain strong in the Gospel.

The Apostle Paul urges us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. Such a way of living requires us to “walk the line”, as the great Johnny Cash song goes. God requires us to meet a high standard in following Christ Jesus. But thankfully, Christ sustains us along the way.

In a sermon delivered for the first Annual Meeting of Holy Communion Anglican Church, the Rector recounts God’s many blessings on the congregation the previous year and reminds us of the one thing which sustains us: God’s Grace alone.

Every day, there are many voices competing for our attention. Social media, television, friends, family, and finances are among those many competing voices. Through the chaos of life, we must remember that we will always become like those people or things we listen to most.

For those who live in the United States, the ingredients of worldly happiness are right there in front of us. Almost anything we want can be ordered online and arrive at our doorstep in two days or less. We have access to all of humanity’s knowledge and information on our laps and in our pockets. And social media provides us a limitless release of dopamine and an endless supply of ideals to chase after. Ironically, none of these riches make us any happier. The more stuff we get, the more stuff we desire. So where is true happiness to be found?

Life does not always take us in the direction we would ever ask or imagine. But God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. When we know God’s sovereignty and love to be true, we take comfort, but we can still sometimes hurt. If we therefore love and have been loved, throughout all the trials of life, then in Christ Jesus we have all we need.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Nothing that happens in the world surprises Him! When we are calm, when we continue to say our prayers, we set an example of perseverance and faith for others to follow.