Holy Communion Anglican Church
East Greenwich, RI – Standing Firm on Biblical Truth and Christian Tradition
The Apostle Paul tactfully used the technology of his day to preach the Gospel all over the world, even as the Romans transformed the world around him. Yet he did so fearlessly because of his confidence that nothing could separate him from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. For ministry in our modern age, digital media represents the new Roman roads.
Yes, we look forward to the Easter holiday, with all the celebration, colors, and the Easter feast. It is good to do so. And a Lenten discipline makes us appreciate them all the more, but we must place the focus on what is truly important. Lent is for preparing our hearts for Easter, not preparing our stomachs for the feast. Likewise, we cannot prepare for Easter over a weekend. It is a pilgrimage in Christ’s footsteps, to follow His ministry and His Passion.
Advent is our reminder that God’s plan for our lives is infinitely greater than what we face in our present moment - an opportunity for us to look ahead to the second coming of our Lord and say with the Blessed Virgin at His first, “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
Once we acknowledge we are sinners and we cannot save ourselves, we must know we are saved by the Blood of Christ. We can then bring all our troubles, all our worries and problems to the Cross of Christ. And this is done with the support of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Who stands fast? Only the person whose final standard is not reason, principles, conscience, freedom, or virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedient and responsible action in faith and in exclusive allegiance to God.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
Beloved, the darkness we see and hear all around us will not soon (if ever) dissipate, and yet there is a pure light shining into the darkness right now. At a time when the depths of depravity to which humanity can fall are so dramatically on display, the radiance of the grace filled humanity of Saint Mary the Virgin shines out even more magnificently, cutting through the darkness of sin and offering a beacon of hope.
As the Christian Church in America continues to slide into precipitous decline: It is no longer about your way or my way. It is about the LORD God Almighty’s way: God's “living stones,” interlocked, with love – God's love of us, our love of God, and our love of one another – binding us together with cords that cannot be broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).