Friday, January 27, 2012

PART 3 -- 3 STREAMS, ONE MIGHTY RIVER

THREE STREAMS—ONE MIGHTY RIVER OF FAITH
PART 3 “Holy” --The Holy Spirit
Sunday, January 29, 2012


“We believe in…one, holy ,catholic & apostolic church” --Nicene Creed

I understand that a kindergarten teacher at Quaker Farm elementary school once gave her class a "show and tell" assignment. Each student was instructed to bring in an object to share with the class that represented their community of faith.
The next day, the first student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Benjamin. I go to the Beth El Synagogue in Southbury. I am Jewish and this is a Star of David."
The second student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Mary. I'm a Roman Catholic, and I go to St. Thomas the Apostle. This is a Rosary."
The third student got in up front of the class and said, "My name is Tommy. I go to Christ church Quaker Farms, and this is a casserole.
For the past couple weeks, we have been exploring how God’s church is like one mighty river of faith, made up of three streams.
• Last Sunday, we discussed that the apostolic stream represents the teaching of the apostles, which refers to the Bible. As examples, I spoke of sermons and bible studies as tools which God can use to speak to us today.
• The week prior to that, we discussed how all who believe in Jesus Christ are part of the universal catholic church. I spoke of the Holy Eucharist as an expression of that oneness in Christ, which we share with all other believers. Elsewhere in the Bible, this unity and oneness is described in another way, as God’s word calls us, together, the very Body of Christ in the world.
• Today we move to the final steam, the Holy stream, which refers to God the Holy Spirit.
Christians worship one God, who has expressed himself in three different manners at different times in history.
• From the time of creation, up until the first Christmas, God primarily expressed himself as God the Father Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth.
• From the first Christmas until 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead, God primarily expressed himself as God the Son, Jesus Christ, the reconciler.
• And of course at the end of those 50 days until now, God has primarily expressed himself through the universal as God the Holy Spirit.
• Indeed, the Day of Pentecost is frequently called the Birthday of the Church, because it was on that occasion that God poured out His Spirit to all believers, and created the universal church in the first place.
Today’s first reading tell us that God the Holy Spirit gives many spiritual gifts to the church, and that these gifts are frequently misunderstood. One of the most misunderstood gifts of the Holy Spirit, identified in today’s reading, is the gift of healing.
• Over one third of the Gospel, such as today’s Gospel, are devoted to telling about Jesus’ healing ministry. Indeed, Jesus’ name means savior, the root of which comes from the Hebrew & Greek words for wholeness, completeness. The end result, of all healing, is this wholeness and completion in Christ.
• So, Christian healing focuses upon the whole person—body, mind, and soul. Indeed, Jesus came to earth in the first place to heal us from the ravages of a sinful and fallen world. As one pastor put it, “Illness is not because somebody sinned, but instead it is a by product of the fallen nature of the world.”
Now since healing involves the whole person, there are many types of healing: emotional, spiritual, physical, the healing of memories and the healing of relationships.
• No one has ever adequately explained why some people are healed, and other appear not to be. However, we are promised that when Christ returns, believers will then be totally headed and made whole.
• However, in the mean time the church is commanded in God’s word to pray for healing, just as we do every Sunday in our prayers, and in our Healing Services, such as today.
As an aside, I do want to tell you that Prayers for healing today will be offered at a different time and place we have done previously. Those wishing to pray for with our Prayer teams should meet them over at the side, while communion is being distributed, up through the conclusion of our service, and beyond. So, if you wish to pray with one of our Prayer Teams for yourself or for someone you love, then feel free to come up any time today after you have received communion.
Although I originally was skeptical, I first learned the value of praying of healing prayers when I spoke with someone , who had been healed. Charles was a 60 year old dentist at my first parish, who had requested prayer one Sunday. He had metastasized cancer and was preparing for his operation, which was scheduled for the following week. Neither of us had much hope. Was I ever surprised the following Sunday when he came up to me with the biggest grin on his face. He shouted, “Jesus healed me.” He explained that once the surgeons had opened they saw no sign of the cancer, and so the operation was canceled. Charles lived for another healthy 20 years or so, with never any sign of cancer.
So, no one can scientifically prove that God responds to our prayers for healing, but what we do know is that there are people who would bet their lives on it. One such person is a friend of Patti Doyle’s, named Ray Kehrhahn, who comes from Woodbury. I have invited Ray to come speak with us for a few minutes.
Question # 1 I understand that you have suffered through a long illness. Please briefly, tell us about that?

Undiagnosed Lyme Disease, Neurologic Lyme disease to be more specific… involves the lyme spirokyte attacking parts of the brain Question # 2 There must have been times when you felt very discouraged?

Yes, during the last several years… I experience very excruciating continues panic attacks, Agoraphobia, deep fear of all people including family members.
Question # 3 When did you start to get better?

I was finally diagnosed with lyme disease in late july of this year, I experience a profound awaking in late October, I woke up into a whole new world over the next several weeks

Question # 4. Patti said that you did not know that our Christ church Prayer Team had been praying for you for years? Once you learned, what impact did that have upon you?

When I learned that the prayer team had been praying for me, it brought to the fore front for me three different occasions, Occasions where doctors wanted me to return to taking very powerful pysoctropic drugs, at each time I resisted, and refused to return to taking them, Given what was happening It would have been the easy way out. So when Patti told me, I knew then that that power of pray is what had me stand my ground. If I had not, I would still be undiagnosed, and suffering.

Question # 5 As a result of this experience, what have you learned about God?

For me, the lesson in my experience is that God has given me a new purpose for my life, A purpose that would not be possible had I not experienced what I've gone through. That purpose is to awaken many parts of our society to the scourge of Neurologic lyme disease and that it exist, and profoundly affects individuals and families. The medical profession as a whole, at this time does not believe that lyme disease can persist despite the standard course of antibiotic treatment. Lyme disease if not caught early, buries itself in the body and takes extensive antibiotic treatment to cure.

Ray, we thank you for coming and sharing your story with us. Let’s all, together thank Ray and thank God, who is healing him.

So, God the Holy Spirit is amazingly wonderful. The Holy Spirit has no physical presence, so that you cannot touch Him or see Him with your physical eyes. But the Bible tells us that through the universal catholic church, the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit makes his presence known through manifestations, which we can see and touch. We can see and touch Ray, whose life was profoundly healed and changed.

And you know—Jesus wants us all to be washed in His waters of healing, the one mighty river of faith, so that we all can made whole in ways too good for us to imagine, but in ways which will fulfill his perfect plan for us. So, is has been the case since that first Pentecost Sunday, God the Holy Spirit finds expression as we gather together in the Name of Jesus, who died for our sins, that we might be forgiven and be healed in body, and/or mind and/or emotions &/or soul.

Here’s another wonderful witness, from a popular a musician names Michael W. Smith. He sings about this holy and wonderful experience in a song, which we will hear later in today’s service. Some of the lyrics go like this:

Healing rain is coming down
It's coming nearer to this old town.
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It's bringing mercy, it won't be long.
Healing rain is coming down
It's coming closer to the lost and found.
Tears of joy and tears of shame
Are washed forever in Jesus' name.

So, from the bottom of my heart, I believe that Jesus, on His part, wants to rain his healing grace upon us. But, on our part, we have to be willing to pray. Amen.

Our service continues with our prayers, which you may find on page 3 of your bulletins. Please kneel or stand, as you are able.

--The Rev. John Donnelly,
Christ Church Quaker Farms, Oxford, CT

Thursday, January 26, 2012

PART 2 3 Streams, One Mighty River

THREE STREAMS, ONE MIGHTY RIVER OF FAITH
“The Teaching of the Apostles—the Bible & the Word of God”
Sunday, January 22, 2012

Last week, we began an exploration of our Christian heritage, which the Bible calls the “in heritance of the saints of light. “If you would turn to the back cover of your Sunday bulletin, you will our godly inheritance depicted as three streams—three streams, which actually flow together to make up one mighty river of faith. Now this is a legacy which is largely unclaimed. Most churches drink of one stream; many drink of two; few actually drink of all three. However, if we are to fulfill our potential and God’s plan as a Christ centered church moving into our 3rd century, then we actually need to drink of all three.

Previously we learned that the small “c” catholic stream is not the Roman Catholic Church. Rather, the word “catholic” means universal, and it describes the mystical reality of the universal church.

Now here’s a review question for those of you who were here last Sunday. This is a multiple choice question: Who is the Head of the universal church? A. The Pope B. The Bishop C. Fr. John D. Jesus.

Right, Jesus is head of the universal church, which the Bible describes as the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is not the church buildings, not the diocese, nor the denominations, but the community of baptized believers—which is you and me.
• The Body of Christ is Jesus’ hands, feet, and mouth in our world.
• The Body of Christ is also where we can partake of the second stream of the mighty river of faith, which is the teaching of the apostles. The teaching of the apostles is also known as the Bible or the Holy Scripture or the Word of God.

During the past 80 years, or so, there has been so much confusion about the Bible.
So, I would like to begin our discussion by looking at what the Episcopal Church says about Holy Scripture. In the back of your red prayer books, you will find an outline of the Christian faith, called the catechism. Please open yours up and turn to page 853. Here we have a section about the Bible, but I want to focus upon the last two questions at the bottom of the page. I will ask the question, and I would like for you to read the answer:

Q. Why do we call the Holy Scriptures the Word of God?
A. We call them the Word of God because God inspired their human authors and because God still speaks to us through the Bible.

So, the Episcopal Church says that the Bible is divinely inspired, in a unique and special manner, so that we call the scriptures, “The Word of the Lord.” God initiated the writing of these scriptures to be eternal, so that He can use these holy words to communicate to us today. The Bible is not some historic artifact, but it’s a tool that God uses to reach out to us. But, like my new chain saw, this tool can do more harm than good, if I don’t understand how to use it. So let’s move to the last question.

Q. How do we understand the meaning of the Bible?
A. We understand the meaning of the Bible by the help of the Holy Spirit , who guides the Church in the TRUE interpretation of the Scripture.

Do you know that some interpretation of the scriptures is NOT truthful? If you would open up your bulletin to page 6, I will show you what I mean.

Generally speaking, there are 3 major ways that the Bible is interpreted today.
The first group, fundamentalists and/or literalists, are often renegade, isolated or quasi-Christian groupings, which have separated themselves from the larger Christian community, rejecting much of the universal catholic stream of faith, , including the creeds, the sacraments, interdenominational fellowship, and traditions, all which contribute to our understanding of God’s word. So, we read,

1. “FUNDAMENTALISTS” and/or “LITERALISTS”
understand the divine of its revelation scripture, but underplay the Bible’s humanness. The historical & literary contexts are overlooked. So for example, the Genesis account of the story of creation and madam and Eve was never intended to be a factual historical account. Rather, it was intentionally written as a faithful theological history, designed to explain God’s act of creation and human sin. This understanding in no way undermines the role of God. Rather, it takes into account how such writings were originally intoned to be understood. Moving to the 2nd bullet--
• Can give too much weight to selected obscure passages, building doctrines which do not adequately relate to the overall purpose of the Good News of Christ.
• So, for example, please take out your scripture insert, and look at today’s second reading, which ifs from I Corinthians 7. It begins, saying, “the appointed time has grown short and it sends by saying the world is passing away.” Now, if you wren just to pick this reading out context, it sounds like doom and gloom and horror. But there’s more to the story. This section of scripture does not contain much Good News, which as we hear in today’s Gospel, is what Jesus came to proclaim. So, if you read something in the Bible which is disturbing or confusing, and you are left without hope, then you know that there is more to the story than what is revealed by that one piece of scripture. You have to know the rest of the story before it makes any sense. So, beware of preachers & teachers take a verse or selection of scripture out of context in order to manipulate and frighten people.
Moving to the next section
2. “POSTMODERNISTS” reject the miraculous and the supernatural, in seeking to make God relevant to an ever growing and changing world, which influences what people believe.
• Too much emphasis on the human origin of scripture. So, let me ask you----if the Bible is only of human origin, then PSSSSST!!!!!!!!!! Why should we believe that? We all know that you cannot believe everything that you read or hear. The Bible reminds us of what we all well know, that human opinions are like puffs of wind, which come and go, and disappear into the air. The God revealed by these folks has no power to help us, or chooses not to. Such a god is, for whatever reason, will not lift a finger to help us. Such a god, has no relevance to daily life. I would not worship such a false god.
3. “CHRIST /GOOD NEWS CENTERED” say that the Bible is both the Word of God and the words of men. God is the ultimate author.
• Jesus Christ is the Word of God. The focus of the Bible is the Good News of God’s acceptance of us offered by the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Here’s the key to the matter. The Word of God is God’s perfect communication to us. God perfectly communicated to us through Jesus Christ.

So, what this means is that the Bible is a great gift to us, and the centrality Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy is the standard by which we interpret the whole of the bible. So, of bin this style of interpretation, the church and the Holy Spirit guide us to see how God’s boundless love relates to us today.

St. Augustine once wrote that every single person has a God shaped hole in their heart. Some people try to fill it up with money, or sex, or booze, or by being successful, or by having lost so friends, or by being in good shape, or by self pity, or whatever. BUT, nothing can ever satisfy you, nothing can ever fill that God shaped hole in your heart, except God. The Bible can guide us to learn how God wants to fill our hearts on this day.

So, for example, please pick up you scripture inserts, and look at the psalm. This psalm is loaded with the Good News of the love of Jesus Christ.
• Verse 6 says that we can hope in Him.
Verse 8 says that He is as like refuge for us in times of trouble
• Verse 9 encourages us to trust Him always.

I don’t know about you, but I need a god to whom I can turn in times of trouble. I need a God whom, I can trust...in whom I have hope. There have been times in my life when troubles at work, & at home, in my finances, in my health, in my relationships, all ganged up surrounded me,PAUSE and I felt like I was going to go under. During those times, I took the guidance of the Bible and cried out to Jesus to help. And many of those times, I really did not have a human hope that even Jesus could help. I am not proud to say that too many times, I was desperate, and I resisted asking Jesus to help me. But in obedience to what God’s word says inverse 6, I chose to put my trust in Him. But when I finally cried out to Him, He helped.
• Sometimes, none of the outward circumstances changed, thing changed, but I was changed, and I had new strength to persevere.
• Other times, doors opened which I never expected.
• Still other times, things worked out so wonderfully, that I knew that Jesus had intervened to rescue me.
• And still other times, it looked like Jesus had not heard my prayer and I felt like I was left out there twisting slowly, slowly, in the wind; but later, in time, I grew to understand that Jesus had helped me in ways I could never imagine.

During our sermons on Sundays, and in some new Bible studies coming up next month, we are all learning to drink from the stream of the God’s Word, the Bible, which the Nicene Creed calls the teaching of the apostles. This is the living spiritual water for which we thirst, and which is freely offered to us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

--The Rev. John Donnelly
Christ Church Quaker Farms, Oxford, CT

PART 3 --3 Streams, One Mighty River

Saturday, January 14, 2012

THREE STREAMS--ONE MIGHTY RIVER

THREE STREAMS SERIES: THE CATHOLIC STREAM
Sunday, January 15, 2012, at Christ Church Quaker Farms


Last Sunday, we began our Bicentennial commemoration by reflecting on how Christ Church celebrated Christ for 200 years. Christ Church has a wonderfully unique story and history, of which we will hear more in the year to come. But today, I want to explore some of our rich heritage…a SHARED heritage which is central to this church, to the national Episcopal Church, and our extended church family of the world wide Anglican Communion, as well.

Our parish webpage says, quote, "Christ Church is motivated to be a Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, Bible based, Spirit-filled, & eucharistically oriented Church." Unquote. This statement is based upon the writings of Episcopal Bishop Leslie Newbegin who about the early church, as described in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. He maintains that all Christians churches have received an incredible legacy, a legacy which has been largely unclaimed. He contends that Jesus' church on the world is like a mighty river of faith—whereby we can all, according to today’s psalm, drink the waters of God’s delights to receive the spiritual refreshment of healing, hope, and heaven. This mighty river of faith is composed of three streams—three streams. Without each of the three streams, the river would be deficient.

If you would turn to the diagram toward the back of today’s bulletin, you will find an illustration that illustrates the mighty river. As you can see, the mighty river of faith is composed of the catholic (universal/sacramental/tradition) stream; the apostolic stream, focusing upon teaching of God’s word; and the holy stream, which is empowerment for ministry through the Holy Spirit. Beginning today and continuing for the several weeks, we will reflect on each of these streams, and explore how they can enrich your own spiritual lives.

Now, the small “c” catholic stream is NOT the same thing as Roman Catholicism, with whom we have major doctrinal differences. No, the term ‘catholic’, with a small “c” comes from the Latin word, meaning universal. The term started to be used in the 2nd century, AD, to describe the universal scope of the Christian church throughout the world. The Roman Catholic Church is just one expression of the “small c” universal catholic church. Specifically, the small “c’ catholic stream focuses upon Jesus’ presence in his universal church, whereby his followers can partake of the riches of life-giving Christian traditions, historical liturgy, and the sacraments, which are outward and visible signs of God’s love for us.

One of the riches of the catholic stream is the Nicene Creed, which is quoted at the top of the page. This ancient statement of belief is said weekly by Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists and many other liturgical and protestant groupings, across the whole world. The one, holy catholic Church does not refer to the papacy, or to denominations, or to differing practices of worship or music. Membership in the universal Catholic Church is entirely determined by baptism and commitment to Jesus Christ. PERIOD.

The universal Catholic Church is mystical. It reaches back to the first Christians who followed Jesus and encountered Him after He rose from the dead.
• It encompasses all people, both the living and the dead, committed to Jesus Christ, individually, and as lived out in our community life as the family of God.

Today’s reading from ‘Ephesians’ described this mystical, universal church, as being the actual BODY OF CHRIST, here on earth. And that Body has many parts, which are you and me. The Bible says that together, we are the Body of Christ.
• Jesus has no other physical body on earth but you and me, to serve as
1. As his hands to reach out in friendship,
2. as his lips to speak words of encouragement,
3. and as His heart to love and forgive every single person.
• Now, our reading form Ephesians tells us that this Body has a Head, And that Head is not the Pope, nor the Bishop & diocese; nor the clergy and the Vestry. The Head of the Church is Jesus.
• So, this is today’s power point, which I ask you to repeat after me:
THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST. WE AE THE PARTS OF THE BODY.
JESUS IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.

The sad truth is that most Christian leaders do not fully understand and live out this crucial and foundational truth. Most non believers and many Christians only see the church as some human association and institution, which is lead by human leaders with their own selfish-personal- agendas. But that is only the smallest tip of the iceberg.

If the church is just human institution, then it would not have lasted for 2000 years.
• It would not have unselfishly fed the hungry, comforted the lonely, prayed for the sick, and ministered to the dying.
• It would not have stood defended the weak against mass murderers.
• It would not have launched an underground resistance that ultimately led to the fall of the Iron Curtin.

Instead, it would have been totally destroyed by human sin and self interest, long ago. (pause). And indeed, human sin and self interest has grievously infected, wounded, and crippled the church at various times. But just as the Body of Jesus walked out of the tomb when He rose from the dead, so now His Body, the universal small ”c” catholic church, is alive and active and powerful in many millions of ways that are apparent to those touched by the love of Christ.

Now, the reality that Jesus is Head of the church has many profound implications for revitalizing local churches, such s our own. Although we do not have the time to explore all these profound implications today, we shall in the future. It has been my experience that when local churches, such as ours, fully embrace Jesus as the true head of the Church , that the people and the congregation become transformed in wonderful ways:
• The congregation becomes more harmonious and begins to grow, numerically, spiritually, and financially.
• People don’t feel judged by others, but feel accepted and cared for, even in the midst of hard times and disagreements.
• The church becomes active in serving one another, and in reaching out in love to the world around us.

Here’s another example: When Jesus is fully embraced as Head of the church, the liturgy Holy Communion bursts out of empty and deadly ritualism, which is the sad experience in many parishes. No, just as Jesus burst forth from the tomb with new life on Easter Sunday, so he can break forth with new life on every Sunday, as we receive his precious body and blood.
• Some Christians do not know that every Sunday is a celebration of Jesus rising form the dead, and Holy Communion is the chief sacrament through which the living Christ infuses us with his forgiveness, love, &new life. Unlike some denominations, the Episcopal Church does not seek to define how Jesus is present in the body and wine of Holy Communion. The Episcopal Church believes that Jesus is miraculously present in a manner which defies human understanding; BUT, that His real spiritual presence is with us as we break the bread and share the wine, as He commanded us to do.
• However, when a whole worshipping parish is totally unified in Him, we not only commune with him, but commune with one another. That amplifies and expands the experience of his presence.

This is my dream for Christ Church Quaker Farms. For some of us, certain aspects of this dream are already being fulfilled. But I look ahead to the time when it will be totally fulfilled for all who enter these doors. This will happen as we more fully learn to follow the leadership of the true head of this church by growing in a deeper love with Him, and with each another.

In today’s Gospel, we heard how Jesus transformed water into wine …and not just any old wine, but the best wine. Just as surely as Jesus transformed water into wine, may He likewise transform us that we would, indeed, become a radiant sign & symbol of His love for the entire world. AMEN.


--The Rev. John Donnelly

Thursday, January 12, 2012

CHRIST CHURCH




CHRIST CHURCH QUAKER FARMS
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Gospel of Matthew

CHRIST CHURCH INAUGURAL BICENTENNIAL SERMON

CHRIST CHURCH QUAKER FARMS (1812-2012)
Oxford, CT        Sunday, January 8, 2012
INAUGURAL BICENTENNIAL SERMON  




200 years ago live was awfully hard for those living in Quaker Farms.
·         Like in our day and time, there were times when the local economy boomed and times it bustled. 
·         In 1807, the shipping port in Derby closed, causing widespread economic hardship for farmers and factory workers, and for the wealthy people alike.
·         Housing was a problem for most people who lived in log cabins.  When the cold wind blew in the winter, you couldn’t escape to a nice heated house, like we do now.  Life was much more like what we experienced with the power outages after the Halloween blizzard at last year.
·         Of course roads were problematic.  During the spring rains the dirt roads became mud city.  But during the winter months going up hills & mountain roads, covered with ice & snow were almost impossible.  Indeed, during such months, the people of Quaker Farms were cut off from the outside world.

So, in 1812, something wonderful happened . . . something which began to improve the quality of life for the people of Quaker Farms.  Neighbors and friends of many different religious backgrounds and even some who had no religious background at all . . . all came together in the name of Christ to build Christ Church Quaker Farms.  One early document says, and I quote, “The Episcopalians and others contributed generously to support St. Peter’s Church (which was the mother church in Oxford center), but during the severe storms of winter, there were many times when they were deprived of the comfort offered by the church’s worship and sacraments.”  So, about 50 plus people generously pledged their time, talent and treasure, to begin to create a space and a place where they could come together in the name of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.
           
You see, our spiritual forefathers and foremothers understood that just as there are the dark times at winter, there are also dark times in life . . . Dark times when we face hardship, pain, loneliness, grief, loss, sickness, death, and the like.

But they understood that the Light of Christ could lead them through those dark times; and building Christ Chapel would provide for Jesus Christ to do just that.

So, the light of Christ shined through the worship at Christ Chapel, but it also shined through the community at people who gathered here.  Christ Chapel was not intended to be a strictly denominational church.  Indeed, in its bylaws Christ Chapel was dedicated to be a church for everyone in the community regardless of religious affiliation or lack there of.  Within this building, and later in the social hall across the street, people came together for dinners, parties, dancing, talking, and socializing.  Here, people new to the area met new friends.  Here, young women and men met for the first time and some of them got married here and some of them had their children baptized here, and some of them were buried here, and some of them were comforted by there friends as they grieved  their loss.  And some of them saw the Light of Christ in their darkness and they picked up and resumed their lives, waiting until the time when they would enter into the heavenly light of Christ to be reunited with their departed loved one.

Our Bicentennial there if “200 years of Celebrating Christ, the Light of the World.”  For 200 years, the Light of Christ has shined through this community, during good times and bad; for better for worse; for richer for poorer; in life and death and in eternal life.

One of my predecessors, the Rev Timothy Carbury, spoke about this in a sermon delivered from this pulpit 35 years ago.  He said, and I quote, “The Light of Christ shines through this parish, and it here illuminates within and without, inside and out, hear and far.  The light shines brightly, most vividly in our Sunday worship, in the Eucharist, in the reading and preaching of the word, and in and through our program of church music.  The light shines in our Sunday school with our students and our teachers.  It shines in our prayer group; it shines in our parish suppers, events and meetings.  In times of death, in times of confusion the light is not allowed to dim or quiver, but is offered as a bright and determined guide.  The light shines bright in these four walls, as we serve our community.”

And of course, the Light of Christ continues to shine through this church today.  Indeed, whether you realize it, the Light of Christ guided you this morning to this place to be part of our celebration of Christ.

·         We celebrate Christ today as we welcome a new member of the Christian family through baptism.
·         Shortly our young people will celebrate Christ as they enter this church carrying star, representing the Light of Christ and as they offer their annual Christmas gifts for needy children in Navajoland.
·         Following our service today, we will celebrate Christ with great food, fun and fellowship at the special Epiphany party and lunch, being hosted by the Bicentennial Committee.
·         Our Bicentennial committee will lead us in commemorating 200 years of Celebrating Christ through a whole year of bicentennial Fellowship and special activities.

You see, the wonderful thing about the light of Christ love is that once you have received it, you want to celebrate by sharing Christ’s light with others.  Indeed, Jesus went as far as to say that only we have received and acknowledges His love, that WE    ARE      the light of the world – that His light shines through us.  He went on to say that as the Light of the world, we don’t have this light under a bushel – but we place it on a stand   for it to shine and shine brightly.



Closing Prayer from the  Book of Common Prayer
            Almighty God, to whose glory we celebrate the anniversary of this house of prayer:  We give you thanks for the fellowship of those who have worshiped in this place, and we pray that all who seek you here may find you, and be filled with our joy and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, nor and for ever. Amen

--The Rev. John Donnelly

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

BULL RUN on Christmas Eve


RUNNING OF THE BULLS IN OXFORD
December 24, 2011
As we joined family and friends for our holiday celebrations, the local media seemed to have missed what could be the strangest and yet most intriguing story of 2011.
'Twas was the (day) before Christmas, when all through the (town). Not a creature was stirring, except for a…bull?
That’s right. Around 3:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, a 780-pound bull got loose from his owner’s farm near the Quaker Farms section of town and led residents, police and firefighters on a wild chase that lasted about two hours, police said.
The bull originally made its way to Great Oak Middle School and ran toward Captain Wooster Road and then Route 188, said Oxford Resident Trooper Dan Semosky, recalling the wild incident in which little Oxford looked like Pamplona, Spain for a day.
The bull ran to O’Neill Road toward Christ Church Quaker Farms, where Semosky said parishioners could be seen lining the windows to catch a glimpse of the running of the bull.
“It was one of the most bizarre events I can remember,” Semosky said. “That bull was 780 pounds! If he wants to get out and get going, there is very little you are going to do to pull him back. Luckily, nobody was seriously hurt.”
The owner’s friends attempted to help, and one of them struck a police cruiser with his car after he pulled up behind the officer and forgot to put the car in park, Semosky said. And firefighter Joe Calabrese, former first selectman candidate and aide to former First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers, was clipped on the hand by a car as he closed off a street to keep commuters away from the chase, Semosky said. Calabrese was not injured, and the trooper was taken to a hospital for evaluation but also was OK, Semosky said. Police cited both drivers.
Meanwhile, the owner continued to chase the bull with a flock of at least 10 people; the owner continuously tried to lasso the animal, but it kept slipping away, Semosky said.
Finally, it appeared the chase was over when the owner cornered his animal and tried to tie him to the push bumper of a state police cruiser, Semosky said. But once again, the massive animal got away and ripped the push bumper off the car, he said.
A little while later - about two hours after the bull got loose - the chasers finally cornered the animal and tied him to a pole, Semosky said.
The reason the story has yet to be reported in mainstream local media - that we know of - is probably because most local reporters, including myself, were on vacation for the week. And there was no press report released on the incident.
“This is something that if you tried to write a full report on it, you’d be writing a novel,” Semosky said. “But we are investigating it. We are following up now to see how the owner is going to pay for the damage to the police cars, and we’re following up with animal control.”
Editor's Note: Joe Calabrese clarified that he was struck by a car on the hand and that the car was not going slow. We have since updated the story.
About this column: Oxford Online is a column about happenings in Oxford. Feel free to nominate a column idea to Oxford Patch editor Paul Singley at paul.singley@patch.com.