CORE VALUE SERMON: THE WORD OF GOD

CORE VALUES SERMON By Warden Bob Knapp August 26, 2012 The Importance of the Word of God Why is the Word of God important? Does it lead you in your daily walk through the trials and tribulations of your day? Do you try to apply God’s word often in your life and live by it? What parts of God’s Word do you know well enough to apply in your life on any given day? Which of God’s teachings are you most confident in and which do you need to study more? Or, do you not altogether rely on God’s Word that much on a daily basis? If not, is that because you don’t know it that well or maybe because you might lack confidence in using it? Do you have coworkers, family or friends who have criticized you for following or using God’s Word? Do you find that some people in your life support your faith, some ignore it, and some even undermine it? When was the last time you took a real risk to apply God’s Word in your life? What are you doing each day to strengthen your faith and make your knowledge of God’s Word stronger? Let’s consider what Bible experts say about the importance of the Word of God. A. The Gideons’ description of the Bible shows that the Word of God has the greatest worth of all. (Psalm 138:2) The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. CHRIST is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a wine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents. B. Christians believe that the Word of God is alive and that God’s signature is behind God’s Word. Jeremiah 1:12 says “The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled."” Another interpretation of the importance of the Word of God, as described here in Jeremiah 1:12, is this: “The thing seen is a very proper emblem of what I am about to do, and the quick dispatch that will be made therein: for l will hasten my word to perform it.” Biblical historians believe that these words in Jeremiah are referring to the almond tree as an example of God’s Word. The almond tree is the first tree to flower in January, and its fruit is ripe by March. Therefore God’s Word is the first to flower, and quickly ripen, and it brings forth much fruit for those who hear it, read it, and study it. C. Biblical scholars teach that there are five things we need to do to better grasp the Word of God on a daily basis and to get God’s Word into our heart. We need to hear, read, study, memorize and meditate on the Word of God. We need to feed on the Word of God to be healthy Christians. Jeremiah 15:16 says: “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.” D. In John 6 Jesus spoke with his disciples about the Word of God and Jesus said: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[e] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of the disciples did not believe and would betray him. 65 Jesus went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” 66 And from that time many of Jesus’ disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” E. As Christians, we believe that Jesus Himself is the Word of God made flesh. John 1:1 says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And John 1:14 goes on to say: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” As we feed on the Word of God we grow and develop the various gifts that God gave us – gifts that God provided to us for an intended mission or ministry of His design. It is for us to discover through faith what God intends for us to do, to best serve Him. And by feeding on the Word of God we feed on Christ. Once again referring to the five things we need to do to better grasp the Word of God each day (hear, read, study, memorize and meditate on the Word of God), now let us consider what it says in Nehemiah 9:3 about these special tools for dividing God’s Word: “They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God, for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God.” We must not only hear the Word of God, but also read it and strive to understand it, in order to better apply it in our lives. If we have to struggle in a given situation, we must remember that it is a blessing of itself to be “free enough” to struggle - as we go along on our Christian walk, and far better than if we had to “struggle to be free” as those in less fortunate countries have to do. Even in a free society we should remind ourselves that only the Word of God can truly set us free as we struggle each day with temptations and challenges of all kinds. If our country (or any country) should ever take our freedoms for granted, and shun the Word of God, then our freedoms and our blessings would soon begin to leave us. If God’s Word leads us to confession of our sins, we should be thankful to God. If God’s Word leads us to acceptance of Jesus Christ, or to take on a particular mission or ministry, we should be thankful to God. Faith in the Word of God, studied with a sincere heart, leads us in paths of righteousness and to salvation. One interpretation of Mark 4:8 is that some of us will hear God’s Word and use it to bear good fruit multiplying God’s Word thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times. But is hearing the Word enough? G. In Acts 17:11 we learn that just Hearing the Word is likened to only smelling food. You need to consume it after hearing it. 1 Timothy 4:13 says: “Until I come - devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” We need therefore to read the Scriptures, as well as hear them. The value of a meal is not in memorizing a menu. You must consume the Word. The Word has its effect even if we do not have it all memorized. H. 2nd Timothy 2:15 teaches us that we need to study the Word of God to be intelligent Christians. 2nd Timothy 2:15 says: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” In Studying the Word of God we find that there are distinctions between Jewish truth, Gentile truth, and Christian truth that need to be divided, analyzed (broken down), and synthesized (brought together). To help yourself better divide the truth consider that the difference between reading and studying is the presence and use of pencil and paper. I. Another way to look at the characteristics of a good Bible study is to break study down into a five-step process: a. Original investigation – the Epistles were not originally delivered with ten commentaries – the commentaries had to be developed. Original discovery is always the best form of learning. b. Written reproduction – write out your thoughts to develop and refine them. c. Be Systematic and progressive. No doctrine of Scripture is to be interpreted apart from any other doctrine in Scripture. d. Personal application – try to apply scripture to your and in your life every day; God wants much more that you doing things with Him and not as much for Him. What does God need from us? Our love, our worship, our obedience and our fellowship. e. “Pass-on-able” – the lessons you learn must be simple enough that they can be passed on to others. The Navigator Bible Studies are successful because they can be passed on. J. The fourth element of better grasping the Word of God is to memorize the Word in order to be a skillful Christian. The Word of God is for everybody - not just children. The reason for memorizing is to be equipped for interacting with both Christians and non-Christians. The Word of God buried in our hearts is about the only weapon the Holy Spirit has when we start to get out of line. He is able to prick our hearts and consciences through that Word. It is indispensable in personal evangelism. It is easy to be considered an authority on the Scriptures when you have only a few of them memorized. K. The final element of better grasping the Word of God is to meditate on the Word of God to be spiritually fruitful Christians. Joshua 1:3 teaches us that we are to meditate on the Word of God day and night. Meditation is rumination – it is nourishment extracted and it goes into your life. Psalm 37:4 tells us that the Lord comes in the volume of the good book. John 15:5 teaches us that Meditating on the Word transfers Christ’s life into ours. L. After we have finished the five-step process of better grasping the Word of God, we next need to Apply the Word of God to be obedient Christians. We are to do and to teach. James 1:22-24 tells us that the sequence here is important. It is unusual for a person to look into a mirror and not see something that needs an adjustment and not make that adjustment. It is therefore an oddity for a person not to take immediate action when he sees a problem in his character that he needs to work on - after looking into the Word of God. We need to apply what we learn from the Scriptures. M. In Conclusion - Satan’s primary aim is to keep you from God’s Word. In doing this, Satan decreases our effectiveness for God. Our hope is that by learning and grasping the Word of God we develop new patterns of understanding and behavior to help us be victorious for Christ and with Christ. And in order to know Christ better, what would you say are the two most important questions you would ever be asked to answer? -What did you do with the Lord Jesus Christ? -What did you do with the gifts, talents and resources God gave you? If you are not yet prepared to answer these two critical questions, then more knowledge of the Word of God through hearing, reading, studying, memorizing and meditating will certainly help.

GO MOVE A MOUNTAIN

GO MOVE A MOUNTAIN—Matthew 17:14-20 Christ Church Quaker Farms July 29, 2012 Do you believe it? Do you believe that faith can remove mountains? Please look at the mustard seed, which is attached to your bulletin. How big is that seed? Not very big. It’s rather tiny. If it wasn’t encased in plastic, it would have gotten lost. So Jesus challenges us. “ IF YOU HAVE FAITH THE SIZE OF A MUSTARD SEED, THEN YOU COULD MOVE MOUNTAINS.” Do you think that you have faith, the size of a small mustard seed? Let’s find out. Please open up your red prayer books to page 358. AS you know, this is the statement of faith as received by the worldwide universal church. Now, I’m going to ask you a couple questions. If you wish to answer, you may do so by raising your hand: • Do you believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth? If so, please raise your hand. • Moving to the next section, Do you believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God? So, it sounds to me that there is a lot of faith in this room. It appears to me that most of us have faith that is much, much bigger than the tiny size of the mustard seed. You see, the people to whom Jesus was originally speaking these words had much less faith than you do. They didn’t know that Jesus was the Son OF God. The Holy Spirit had not yet come, so they didn’t know anything about him. But you do. You know and believe this. So your faith is much broader, much deeper, and more informed that the people who originally heard this message. You see, Jesus knew that his original audience, and those of us who would come later, actually do have faith much larger than that of a mustard seed. But we are not using the faith we have. So, Jesus challenge is better understood like this: If you use your mustard size faith, then you can move mountains. In today’s Gospel, the original disciples had at least faith that was the size of the mustard seed, but they had attitudes of doubt, and so the sick boy in the Gospel appeared to them to be a mountain, which they could not move. • At the time that the disciples prayed for the boy, Jesus was not with them. Earlier in the Gospel, the disciples had successfully prayed to heal others, but this time was gone. But now that He was temporarily absent, they let their attitude of doubt suppress their faith. Then, the boy’s illness became a mountain that they could not move. The disciples are not the only ones with doubting On our journeys of life we encounter gigantic mountains, figuratively speaking, which we feel like we just cannot move. • Some of us encounter difficulty in our relationships with family, friends, associates, church members, or neighbors. Rather than invest time and energy to work things out or to seek reconciliation, if you are like me, you may just withdraw, and let the relationship deteriorate or die. • Some of us have self indulgences and obsessions around food, alcohol, sexual temptations, television, the internet, making money, or whatever. When those obsessions hurt ourselves or hurt our relationships, we then realize that we ought to stop; but those mountains appear too hard to move. • Some of us are in situations where we really need help, but we are just too proud to ask or seek out such help, and the small problems can grow to mountain like proportions. • And of course, some of us feel like we have been buried under the mountains of cancer and other health issues; economic hardship; the loss of a loved one, and more. Now, all these mountains can seem to be overwhelming, but Jesus is telling us that through our faith in him, we can remove mountains. Suppress the doubt, and not our faith. We can nurture and grow our faith so that we can invite Christ to come and help us in the wonderful ways in which He has promised that He will. Too often I become so absorbed in the mountains of my life, that I fail to see the one power that is greater than all the mountains in the world. Indeed, you all just told me that you believe in God the Father, who created heaven and earth, and therefore all the mountains of the earth. Do you not think that He who made the mountains will not rest until He has guided and empowered you to move the mountain out of your way or off of your back? Jesus does not have all this power and love just so he can watch us suffer. He is ready to deploy it if we prayerfully discern how he wants us to move each mountain. Now his way of moving mountains may not be our way. But in Christ, we can move mountains. • Sometimes we have to pray and receive prayer. • Sometimes we need to ask for help from God, in prayer, or from trusted friends, which we will be making in our Small groups this fall. • Sometimes we have to recognize that the mountains we have encountered are actually mole hills, which we made into mountains by our own stubbornness and self indulgence. 1. So, the mountain of a broken relationship and be leveled down by honest and sincere efforts at reconciliation, understanding, forgiveness in the love of Christ. 2. The mountain of self obsession and self indulgence and be leveled off, if we receive prayer and counsel, and if we ask God to forgive us for putting our self absorbed indulgences ahead of him and head of other people. I see people doing this all the time. 3. The mountain of pride, where we refused to ask for help when we need it. Jesus can dissolve that in an instant. . Recently I have failed to complete a project at home, which in my mind has grown from a mole hill into 35,000 ft mountain. The longer I have avoided the project, the bigger the mountain has grown in my mind. It seems too hard. It going to take too much time and effort. Now, by my failure to do what I have needed to do, I have placed an unnecessary burden on my family, and I feel guilty every time I think about it. So, last night, I asked for some help from a Small Group friend of mine, named Little John. He and his wife, Little Pat, are here today. When John stands up and his head hits the chandelier, you will recognize him. Well, last night had a five minutes conversation about this with John, and now I am ready to tackle this on my day off tomorrow. Mountain moved. 4. Of course, the mountains of disease and financial; hardship and grief as much weightier than my stupid little project. They can seem impossible to get from underneath. However, even in those circumstances, I have seen Christians use their faith to move the mountains of discouragement, sorrow & hopelessness to walk tall in the knowledge that Jesus is walking with them and carrying the burden upon his back. You see, the doubters of the world tried to bury Jesus under the mountain of death. But Jesus rose from the dead, and now that he might help us move all our mountains. We just have to decide to have an attitude adjustment to minimize doubt, and to grow faith. In another place, Jesus spoke of the mustard seed in another parable. He said that your faith is like a mustard seed. • You can water that seed with prayer, which will be available today from our Healing Ministry. • You can plant your seed in the good soil of fellowship, as we will share in our Small groups. Then watch your faith grow--- together , in Christ, we will move the mountains we encounter, that we might live out our lives in the fullness and abundance offered to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

CORE VALUES: JESUS IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH

CORE VALUES: JESUS IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH Christ Church Quaker Farms, June 10, 2012 On this Father’s Day, I want to tell you a little bit about my son, Patrick. Although he is now primarily a student, Patrick is actually a professional trained and certified wilderness specialist. He loves to lead groups of adults and students on back packing trips deserts and mountains of California. • When leading a group into the wilderness, he must to protect his group, by making sure they stay together and don’t take any wrong paths, so they don’t get hurt or lost. While he uses all the equipment available to him, including compass, GPS, what he primarily relies upon are the trail markers’ Trail blazes on trees and small rock piles previously left by him and/or others who had originally blazed the trail. • But the key to Patrick’s success is that he knows where he is going. He has previously completed the hike, and successfully arrived at the destination at journey’s end. There is a spiritual sense that my job is very similar to Patrick’s. God and your lay leadership chose me to lead Christ Church Quaker Farms through the wilderness of modern church life. Like Patrick, I have hiked the trails of congregational leadership for many years; I have taken wrong turns, and had to back track; and I have walked the paths that lead to greater church vitality and life. In my estimation , too many local churches in the 21st century are wandering around in circles in a dangerous wilderness, because they are spiritually lost and without strong direction. Within each church, there is a functional Head of the Church. This entity or persons direct the life and ministry. The most important thing to realize is that in most churches, the functional head of the church is Human. • Sometimes the functional head of the church may be the clergy. Or, it may be the congregational governing board, which is called the “Vestry” in the Episcopal Church, we call the “Vestry.” Or, it may be the biggest donors, or the people who do the most work, or the people who have been around the longest, or whomever. • Now, sometimes this system works well; but we live in a highly polarized time, where conflicts erupt unexpectedly in marriages, homes, schools, governments, and especially in local churches. So, when mere humans are the functional head of the church, political divisions are often the result. Now, politics has its place; and I a firm and unapologetic believer in the US Constitution and the American system of government. But, that system was never intended by Jesus Christ to be the basis for our becoming, as He proclaims in today’s Gospel , QUOTE “one with one another and one with Him and the Father.” UNQUOTE. You see, that is the destination that Jesus has for us as a church. On the night before He died, Jesus prayed to the father for us, that we would reach our journey’s end. He said, “Father, I pray for my followers in the future. I pray that they would love one another, as you love me and as I love them. I pray that my followers would be united, not divinized, that they would become one, even as you and are one, that they would be one with me and with you through your Holy Spirit.” On the night prior to his crucifixion, Jesus was not thinking about himself. He was thinking about you and me. He was thinking about his desire for all his followers to be united with one another and Him through the power of LOVE—His love, working in and through the church. That is where Jesus will lead any church that cares to follow Him. And, Jesus has blazed the trail, and left trail markers for us to follow. These trail markers are called CORE VALUES. Core values are the things that we as a church, beginning with the Rector and the Vestry, use to guide the choices and decisions we make. Actually, the discernment of Christ Church’s Core values began with all of you, long before I arrived on the scene. In preparation for the calling of a new Rector, many of you filled out survey forms which were utilized not only to call your new priest, but also to look to the future. Over the past couple months, a Vestry Task Force under the leadership of Renee Knapp has been used that material, along with some of my biblical teaching to produce a draft of our Core values, which you will find on the yellow insert in your bulletin. Please take those out; Now, there are two that we are going to talk about today—which I’d like Renee to read out loud, while we silently read along with her. JESUS IS HEAD OF THE CHRIST CHURCH QUAKER FARMS We value the Lordship of Jesus Christ, His leadership as the head of our church, and we submit ourselves to His will. EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT We value the work of the Holy Spirit, which unites us with whole body of Christian believers, and which empowers us FOR ministry and mission. Thank you. So, let’s see how this might apply. Instead of men and women leading the church, what would a church be like , if we could see if the Holy Spirit inspired, directed, and empowered the Church? If the Holy Spirit was in charge, then everything would change: • Maybe we would have joyful worship? Maybe we would individually grow in our faith? • Maybe our fellowship be welcoming, inviting, and supportive of all people, where no one would be left out, but included ands valued? • Maybe others would come through our doors, and decide to join us on our spiritual journey. Yes, by God. All that would happen, and much, much more. First of all, this would include that we will learn to accept Jesus as the functional Head of the Church. Not the Rector or the Vestry. Not this person or that group. Just Jesus alone. • What this has meant in practice is that together we will discern that Jesus has a specific will for our church. He has a plan. “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you, to give you a hope and a future.” Just as Jesus has a plan that each of us should experience abundant life as individuals, so he has a plan CCQF. • Now, believing that God has a plan for this church, we must believe that we can discern that plan through the Holy Spirit. God’s word says that the Holy Spirit directs us , together, to the truth. That through the Holy Spirit, we can understand the mind of Christ. So, how can we go about discerning the will of Lord? The Holy Spirit can direct us into unity and consensus about our decisions, choices, and our interactions with each other. If we are open to the possibility, He can lead us to more intentionally listen to each other, to extend the hand of friendship to those we may have avoided, and to seek to glorify Jesus, together. God’s word says, “If we live by the love of Jesus, then we will united in our convictions and united in your love with a common purpose and a common mind.” I wanted to share all this with you this morning, because I want you to know why I believe in CCQF. Not because of the person you chose to be Rector. Not because of the Vestry, which is one of the best that I have every had the pleasure of leading. No, I believe in CCQF because God has a plan for our church—plans to not to harm us but to help us; plans to give us a hope and a future. And if we, together, follow him on this journey, then our next 200 years will even outshine the past, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. CHRIST CHURCH QUAKER FARMS is a Christ centered community church in the Episcopal tradition, dedicated to JOYFUL WORSHIP utilizing: 1. Relevant, encouraging, & positive Biblical preaching; 2. Treasured traditions of the Episcopal church, including Holy Communion and upbeat hymns 3. Spirit-filled worship (which includes appropriate informality, contemporary songs and creative enrichments to our services. 4. OUR CORE VALUES As approved by the Vestry, June 21, 2012 JESUS IS HEAD OF CHRIST CHURCH QUAKER FARMS We value the Lordship of Jesus Christ, His leadership as the head of our church, and we submit ourselves to His will. Colossians 2:9, Acts 2:36, Ephesians 1:22-And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. UNCONTIONALLY LOVED (AGAPE) We value Jesus’ unconditional & inseparable love for us, and we strive to love one another as Jesus loves us. Colossians 2:9, Acts 2:36, Ephesians 1:22, & John 13:34-35: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” INSPIRED BY THE WORD OF GOD We value the Word of God, Jesus Christ, who is the word made flesh (John 1:14). We value the Bible, through which God speaks to us today.2 Timothy 3:16-1: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT We value the work of the Holy Spirit, which unites us with whole body of Christian believers, and which empowers us for ministry and mission. 1Corinthians 12:12-13, John 17:20-21 and Matthew 5:14-16 -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. JOYFULLY WORSHIPING We value Spirit-inspired-worship, as we express our love to God, through: weekly celebrations of the Eucharist; traditional hymns; contemporary praise music; and heartfelt prayer. John 4:2, Matthew 26:26-28 Psalm 100:1-2: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. AS PART OF THE “ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, & APOSTOLIC CHURCH” (from the Nicene Creed) We value our heritage as the successors of the original apostles, through our membership in the world wide Anglican Communion, in the Episcopal Church (USA) within the Diocese of Ct. Romans 1:5 and Ephesians 2:20: You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone.

200 YEARS OF MARRIAGE BICENTENNIAL SERMON June 3, 2012

Today as part of our Bicentennial, we celebrate 200 years of marriage at Christ Church Quaker Farms. During that time, hundreds of women & men came together here, in the presence of God and their families, to make vows of lifelong fidelity. And some of those couples are with us today. • Would any of you who were married at CCQF, including those of you who are widowed, would you please stand up so that we can recognize you? Here is our living history of 200 years of marriage at CCQF. You are part of the rich heritage of this church, in the past, present, and future, and we honor you all. In my hand is an antique CCQF Prayer Book, which has been in this church since the year the building was completed in 1814. The first couple married here, stood before this altar and head the pastor read these words: Of course, that was a long time ago. During the past 200 years, the institution of marriage has gone through many changes. • Back in the Early 19th century, parents arranged most marriages. It was only around the turn of the 20th century that marriages were inspired by romantic love. • Back in the 19th century, women pledged to obey their husbands in the marriage liturgy. In our day and time, most couples share in decision making with one another. • Back in the 19th century, women were solely responsible for raising and managing the children. 19th century social custom dictated a formal and distant relationship between a man and his children. In our day and time, most fathers are much more involved in child rearing. • Back in the 19th century, holy matrimony was understood as a holy union made by God himself. But today, many people have dropped the word “holy” out of the title. Many , many couples now choose to have secular marriages, which are merely human arrangements, with human values and rules. • Back in the 19 century, the divorce rate in this nation was around 3%. In 2011, among new marriages, the divorce rate is between 40 to 50 % of new marriages. Roles of men and woman may have changed some, but it seems to me that God’s plan for Christian marriage has not changed: God’s word defines marriage as a sacred covenant between a man, a woman, and God himself. God’s plan for marriage is a lifelong union , characterized by mutual respect, mutual honor, mutual fidelity, mutual sacrifice, and mutual joy. However, what many non believers do not understand, is that the love needed for a successful marriage is love which only comes from God. Human beings are not capable of such love, over the long haul of a lifelong commitment. To unintentionally or intentionally exclude God from the marriage, is to deny the depth of love necessary for marriages to prosper. To be honest, we Americans have trouble with “Love,” because the word is thrown around so loosely. • I love pizza. I love my country. I love my fiancé. I love my children. I love my grandma. I love my friend. Certainly, I do not love pizza in the same manner that I love grandma, nor do I love my fiancé in the same way I love my children. Some of the confusion about love is caused by the fact that in English, we have one term, “love,” which describes a variety of different “love” experiences. However, the Greeks have actually 4 different terms: • “Eros,” which means romantic love. • The lives of their children.“Philia, “ which means brotherly love or friendship • “Storge,” which means the love of family; • And “AGAPE”--love, which is committed, self sacrificing love. Agape-love, where you choose to love someone so much, that you put his or her interests and well-being and happiness above your own. So, looking at question # 2, which type of love is the most important in marriage? (All important—but one is vital). Romantic love, or Eros, without sacrificial love, agape, will not last. Agape- love is not all about me, but directed towards you. That’s why God , in his infinite wisdom, decided to create a setting for romance to grow and to become infused with agape-love. • And within this sacred commitment, they are free to love and to trust and to depend—because they both have made a solemn vow to continue loving one another, no matter what. • And that, is real marriage….where vows mean something, and both parties choose to love one another by honoring their vows and promises. Of course, the sad reality is that not all marriages fulfill God’s plan. When agape love is missing form one or both partners, then trauma , betrayal, disappointment, and sorrow may follow. For all its brokenness, however, my guess is that each of you knows of one or more marriage which Have fulfilled the God- given promise of agape love. Today, following the sermon, there are 18 couples who are going to publicly reaffirm their marriage vows. By doing so , they gave giving honor and thanks to God and each other. On Thursday night, I met with them all and asked them to identify one way that God has blessed them through the love of their spouse. • One jokester eagerly raised his hand and shouted, “Her chicken Marcella is fantastic.” • Then, everyone spoke of the blessings of children and grandchildren, and extended families. But, then the discussion took a more intimate turn, as they said such things as • He is someone that I can always count on.” • His love of me has strengthened my love of God.” • “He’s hoped me to become a better person.” • “Always loving; always my friend.” • “He helps me to get through the hard times. By working together, we’re not just two people, we’re more like 3.” • She has helped bring balance to my life.” • And finally, “He makes me laugh.” That was a very moving conversation; and it made me think how happy I am that today, all of us can share in this celebration of Love. That, is the way that God agape-loves you and me. Lets’ look at question # 3 in your sermon notes: As designed by the creator of the universe, all relationships , romantic, family, friends, are better and more lasting when both parties practice agape-love. Agape-love is patient and kind. It is not self-seeking. It keeps no record of wrongs. Agape-love will never end, All other things in life, and all relationships without agape-love, will fade away. Church is meant to be a school to learn how to love, because God is agape-love. This love is intended for all people, whether you are married or not. Jesus agape-loved us all by laying down his life that we might be forgiven and loved by God. So on this day of love, let’s remember the Prayer of the King of Love, that the whole world would know that we are His disciples, because of the way we love one another.

"WHAT ON EARTH...... Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 2012

50 days after Jesus had risen from the dead, and ten days after He ascended to heaven, Peter and the rest of the disciples were praying together, just as Jesus had commanded. Then, the God the Holy Spirit fell upon them and within them, and they were filled with enthusiastic joy and courage. Then they ran out into the streets proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, and then they and their successors went to the ends of the earth. For the past 4 Sundays, we have been exploring this Good News, together. So, today, we are gaping to have a pop quiz to see if you have been paying attention. If the person at the end of each pew will pass down the pens from the white baskets and everybody take out your red insert. So, let’s all work together and we can all receive an A plus Please look section A, question # 1: 1. I am here on earth because God _(created)____ me (pp 12-15), so that He could __Love_____ me (page #15) ; and so that I can __Love_______ Him back.(pp. 51-52). 2. His plan/purpose for me is to have an__abundant _______life (pp. 39-40, John 10:10), which begins when I believe and __receive__ __JESUS___ into my life (pp. 56-58). Good job. You all pass!!! Now, the next part of the Good News, as that the Bible and the Episcopal Prayer Book teach, is that we can believe and receive Christ by praying a prayer, similar to the one in section B of your sermon notes. • As ow as we have heard, God invites us to freely and voluntarily make our own faith commitments to him, to take responsibility for our own spiritual lives. Such commitments are never to be coerced or pressured, but made out of a conviction fo the heart. • Last Sunday, over 57 of us voluntarily made faith commitments or recommitments, and in doing so, we invited and received Christ into our hearts. Now, I know that some of you may be thinking that “this is no big deal,” (PAUSE)…. but a little thing can be a big deal to God. This is where your seed comes in. Please hold it in the palm of your hand, and reflect upon its profound significance: The Bible tells us that when we believe and receive Christ into our hearts, God plants the seed of the Holy Spirit into our lives. The seed of the Holy Spirit, like all seeds, has been designed to grow. Receiving the seed of God the Holy Spirit is a great honor, but to fulfill its purpose in your life, that seed must grow and mature. This happens as we each voluntarily choose to trust Jesus with more and more of our lives, by giving him greater and greater authority to guide & direct us for our great good and his great glory. To explain how this works, please look at your red sermon notes, section C. Here you see a couple diagrams, which require some explanation for the symbols. • The circles represent each person. • The black dots symbolize our personal interests, concerns, activities, emotions, problems, and all aspects of our lives. • The chair in the center of each circle is the throne of our lives, or our decision making capacity. • In the top circle, there is a big S on the throne—which represents our SELF. So, the explanation of the diagram reads, REGULAR CHRISTIAN—SELF IS ON THE THRONE: We may still primarily make decisions and take actions to satisfy our own wants and desire, like everyone else. This results in an unbalanced & conflicted life at best, and/or a life which may hurt us and/or others. The “Self” still wants and seeks money, recognition, self-serving love, and peace & happiness (based on achieving the right outward circumstances, which are unstable). Now, the cross in the circle represents Christ, in whom the regular Christian has received through prayer. However, the regular Christian has not given Christ the authority to provide the spiritual leadership each person requires us that we can live an abundant, purposeful, and meaningful life. So, now lets’ look at the second diagram. What is different about that one from the first? (Discussion) • Note—there is greater harmony and order in the Spiritually Growing Christians’ life. SPIRITUALLY GROWING -- JESUS ON THRONE: We give Jesus authority to be our Lord (manager, boss, the one in control). This results in a more harmonious & peaceful lives, as we seek his direction in making decisions and taking actions. We then see the manifestations or the “fruit” of God: the Holy Spirit: exuberance for life; agape-love; inner peace; compassion; loyalty; perseverance; clearer priorities; wisdom; generosity; and hope. (See today’s reading from Galatians 5) So, our task as Christians is to nurture the growth of the Holy Spirit within us, by learning to trust Jesus, more and more, because He invented the seed, and as the master gardener, he knows how to make it grow to the max, just like any wise farmer. Our spiritual seed grows by watering it with Word of Christ, whom the Bible calls “ THE living water.” • So, first of all, we ALL need to personally read the Bible. Now, I know that some of you think, 'Oh, the Bible is too hard. I cannot understand it.’ Well, you have to get a modern translation. Even I have a hard time understanding the 500 year old King James translation of the Bible. Get a good modern translation. Today’s reading from Galatians , which is very understandable, comes from “The Message Translation” of the Bible, which is one that I am primarily reading now. You can buy it on Amazon. Or, we have a table downstairs today where you can see my copy of the Message Bible, place an order, and we can get a copy fo you. So, first, read the Bible for yourself. I suggest that you start with the Gospel of Mark. • Secondly, come to a bible study group. This fall , CCQF will host an expanded program of Small Bible Study groups, which will be offered at different times to accommodate busy schedules. There is no better way to grow in Christ, then to participate in a small group bible study. You see, it is within such small group setting that we can grow to understand and appreciate the rich inheritance which God has planned for us. What am I on earth for? We are on earth to prepare ourselves as heirs of the Kingdom of God. When a child or older person is baptized, the sign of the cross using holy oil, will be made on the forehead of the child. In ancient times, holy oil was poured on the heads of future Kings and Queens, symbolizing their royal inheritance. This is what that oil symbolized when you were baptized. You have been chosen by God the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit to be a royal heir of Christ, because you are important to God. Amen. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On this Pentecost Sunday, churches all across the world today are witnessing to their faith by reaffirming the universal Baptismal Covenant, which we shall do, too. Please open your red prayer books to page 415. We will begin with the questions at the bottom of the page, Dear people of God

WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR? May 20

Today we are running to 3rd base in our 4 part exploration on, “What on earth am I here for?" • First base, Week One—We heard that we are not accidents; God intentionally made us so that we could be objects of his love. • Second base, last Sunday: We explored how we seek things, outside of us, in order to find fulfillment, such as money, somebody to love, recognition, and other outward circumstances to make us happy. However, such things do not bring lasting fulfillment, because they are illusive, or disappointing, or on temporarily fulfilling. That indeed, in every person there is a God shaped hole, which only God can fill. • Today, 3rd base, I want to discuss how to fill this hole—(h-o-l-e) that we can become whole (w-h-o-l-e). As a young man, I was painfully aware of the big black hole in my life, which I experienced as loneliness. Some of you have been surprised to hear that I am a natural introvert. For most of my earlier life, I was just painfully shy. I experienced a fair amount of social anxiety, and was always tongue tied when meeting new people. • Growing up in a dysfunctional family with an alcoholic father taught me to keep quiet in order to protect myself Like everyone else, I wanted things which I imagined would fill the void: • First, I wanted friendships. While I had a couple of close friendships, they did not fill the void. • My dating relationship started with promise, but mostly went up in smoke, thereby making my void even deeper. • Then in high school and college, I thought that I could fill the void by winning the approval & recognition of others, by making straight “As’ and getting elected Student Body President. But none of that filled the void. However, in my 2nd & third year in college, I found a group of friends who seemed to fill the void. They laughed with me; I felt confident around them; we always hung out together; and it really seemed like I had found my nitch. But unfortunately, this was not a good group of friends. In order to win their approval and acceptable, I joined them in getting drunk and stoned. Getting high with them initially appeared to fill the void. However, these so-called friendships were all chemically induced—so these relationships were superficial at best, and dangerous, at the worst. My life almost ended one night when my friend, Bruce, and I were both stoned. • My judgment was impaired, so I agreed to let Bruce take me home in his little sports car. Bruce put his foot on the accelerator, and before I knew what had happened, the car sped off the road and over a cliff. The car rolled down the hill, over and over, until it was stopped by three trees, which kept the car from falling further into the creek below. The car was totaled. Miraculously, both of us walked away with a scratch. The police were amazed that we were still alive. After that close call, I was very ashamed, and filled with the conviction that somehow, God had saved us. A silly thought popped inky mind, one which I originally dismissed as mere superstition or wishful thinking. Those three trees that saved the car from rolling into the creek, I wondered if three represented the 3 persons of God: Father, Son & Holy Spirit. But that thought sounded too superstitious for me to tell anyone. However, about 10 years later, after Bruce had stopped abusing drugs, he told me that he had had the same thought. So, that night I swore off drugs, believing that God had a better purpose for my life. I grew to believe that God had better plans for me then lying dead in a creek. Shortly afterwards, I joined a bible study group, where I learned some basic principles, which helped me to see the broader picture of my life and God’s purpose. To help explain this, we are now going to see a 31/2 minute video, called “God’s Graffiti.” This remarkable film summarizes the teaching of a person who, for the last 55 years, has been in the top ten list of most admired men in the United States—the Rev. Billy Graham. ---------------------------------------------- Although the format is decidedly modern, the content of this film is the Good News proclaimed by the Hebrew prophets, by Jesus Himself, by the apostles, and by countless millions of other Christians during the past 2000 years, Like some of you, I had heard this teaching previously with my head, but after the car accident, I embraced it with my heart. That’s when I decided to invite God into my life by praying the prayer of believing and receiving. Would you please take out the yellow prayer card from your bulletin, and if you would please pass those pens down the table. Let’s look at the prayer----- Some of you personally may have previously prayed this prayer, or one like it; and others of you may have not. I really see this prayer as an expression of our love and faith in God. Since God made you to be the recipient of his boundless love, He now invites you to tell him that we love him too. By praying this prayer, you do not proclaim that you have all the answers. Rather, you ask Jesus to , quote, “COME INTO MY LIFE AND HELP ME TO LEARN TO KNOW YOU, TO TRUST YOU, AND TO LOVE YOU.” unquote. So, when I initially prayed this prayer at my bible study, I did not initially feel anything at first. But later on, as I looked back, I could see that this invitation was the beginning of my finding fulfillment. I returned to church, where I began to form new friendships with people who like me, wanted to grow to better trust, love, and follow Christ. • I still have problems, like everybody else. • I have grown in my relational skills, and learned how to better give and receive love from my friends, my wife, and my children. • I have grown to care more about the approval and recognition of Christ, and less about that from people. • My wife and I have never had a surplus of money, but I have seen how the Lord has consistently provided for the financial needs of my family and churches, I have served. And it all begins by praying the prayer of believing and receiving, so that Jesus might begin to fill your HOLE “H-o-l-e” so that you can become “W_H_O_L_E” WHOLE. Now, I have prayed this prayer, in one form or another, hundreds of times, because love always needs to be renewed. • IF I had told my wife that I loved her 25 years ago, and never did it again, she world rightfully question my initial sincerity;....and frankly both of our hearts would have grown cold, if I never reaffirmed my love to her. • Likewise, this prayer is not a onetime obligation. Rather, it is a milestone in a spiritual journey that serves as the foundation of our personal faith. So, I recommend that those of us who have previously made such a prayer commitment, also join me in praying it again, as one expression of love to the one who created us to love us. So, in A MINUTE, AFTER THE PRAYERS of THE PEOPLE, I am going to pray this prayer, and if you feel that you wish to express your love to the Lord in a similar fashion, feel free to do so, as well. But whether you pray it or not, keep an open mind and an open heart in the one who demonstrated his love for you through his death and resurrection.