We Cannot Be Silent

The following will be handed out Sunday morning.

Response to Planned Parenthood’s barbarism

On the ACNA website there is an explanation of what has been revealed recently about Planned Parenthood.  Summarily we can conclude that the atrocity of abortion itself has become barbarism.  Below we are given guidance as to what we can do.

7) What does God teach us about this through the Bible?

The answer to the question: “When is a human life important enough for us to care about it, protect it or respect it?” is found in Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, God implies that every human life is sacred, precious, and important enough to send His Son to die so that we humans could have life eternal with Him. God’s sacrifice of Christ on the cross, is the ultimate statement that human life is important enough to die for, in order to save it. God cares for every person even before we are in our mother’s womb according to Jeremiah 1:5 and makes it clear in Psalm 139, verse 16 that every day of our life is known and numbered for us in His book of life.

God answers the question by declaring that His love for every person existed before we are formed by Him and goes on even after we graduate to heaven. He loves the babies, women, doctors, and all involved in this, including us, who now know about it.

8) What is my Church doing?

The Anglican Church in North America has been a strong advocate for life. In fact, it important enough for the Church to include a statement in support of life in its founding documents. Canon 8, Section 3 of Title II states; God, and not man, is the creator of human life. The unjustified taking of life is sinful. Therefore, all members and clergy are called to promote and respect the sanctity of every human life from conception to natural death.

Every year our bishops participate in the March for Life, Walk for Life, March for Life Canada and in 2016 the bishops are already planning on participating in a special Summit: Mobilizing the Church for Life in Washington! DC as well as the March for Life.  To learn more visit: http://www.anglicandoma.org/summit2016.

9) What can my congregation do?

Anglicans for Life has resources and educational materials to equip you for this call of protecting life. It is also important to recognize there are members and visitors every Sunday who have been touched by abortion and need to know healing programs are available. Many like myself spent years in the pew, fearing abortion is an unforgivable sin. We need to hear priests preach that forgiveness is available for all sins including abortion.

10) What can I do?

We need to also protect life in the public square, politically and legislatively.  But at the heart of life, this is a spiritual battle between God and Satan, and therefore we must also use our greatest weapon continually. Pray, pray, pray. Pray for all the lives involved and pray for courage to do what God is calling you to do regardless of the cost because life is sacred. Pray for an end to abortion and euthanasia. Pray for the mothers and fathers who have lost children to abortion and are now faced with the reality of what their unborn child went through during the abortion. It is also okay to write letters to your representatives and ask them to suspend the millions of tax dollars given to Planned Parenthood annually.

For more information about Anglicans for Life please visit their website: anglicansforlife.org.

Carroll County Reps: Andrew Harris (202) 225-5311; fax: (202) 225-0254

web: http://harris.house.gov

Christopher Van Hollen, Jr. (202) 225-5341; fax: (202) 225-0375

web: http://vanhollen.house.gov

For others see: http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/39fed/06ushse/html/rep.html

The Slide of Degradation

When God tells Abraham that the fourth generation of Israel will return to the Promised Land after the iniquity of the Amorites is complete He implies that their is both a piling up of sin by a nation and sloping degradation of sin. 

The recently revealed sin of human butchery of Planned Parenthood is an example of a sloping degradation of sin.  The slide is so very steep that once you start down you cannot stop and at the bottom is the pit of hell. 

This sin revealed must move us Christians to speak out against it and against Planned Parenthood by whatever means are available to us.  This includes our commerce practices.  Please look over the list of companies that support Planned Parenthood and stop giving them your money.  And let them know why.
buycott

From the Sermon "Pride vs. Humility"

Consider this irony.  I recently read an argument that at the heart of the homosexual life style is the sin of pride.  It is prideful to look at God and say “I know what your Word says regarding a man lying with another man and I know what your Word says regarding marriage being only between a man and a woman but I choose to define such things on my terms.”  That indeed is pride.  But that also means, and here is the irony, that the sin of a homosexual is my sin as well for when we are arrogant about our moral stance we then embrace the same sin as the homosexual and that is the sin of pride.  Ironic indeed! 

The Biggest Challenge

The biggest challenge for the Church as I see it is going to be how Christian individuals express their position against homosexual marriage and homosexual copulation without being perceived as hateful.  Yes, there will be people who perceive a Christian hateful just because of the moral stand taken.  But others will genuinely want to know why a Christian believes the way he or she does. 

The first thing a Christian should try is to have discussions about the issues privately.  Voicing disapproval for homosexual marriage at the work place or before several people in a social setting will not be conducive to a discussion that projects genuine love and thus genuine concern.

The second thing a Christian should do is use rehearsed phrases such as "because I care for the souls of people," and "I want people to know the freedom in Christ that I have found," and "I take the position I take because I believe in a heavenly reward and an eternal punishment."  Such phrases are not disingenuous because they are rehearsed.  Instead they allow for conversation to be set in the parameters of the Christian faith and love for the souls of people. 

The third thing a Christian should do is genuinely care for people who are either engaged in homosexual behavior or have embraced the spirit of deception that is found within the homosexual agenda.  Actually, the third thing should be the first thing.  God's love for the world was first before Jesus was given. 

If he were to write today...

"G.K. Chesterton said something somewhere" is said by all who have read Chesterton because he seems to have said wise things about every topic for every generation.  He lived in the early 20th century and spoke as if he lived today.  I linked a copy of an article about Chesterton's views on homosexuality but I wanted to pull some quotes from him for quicker reading and obvious application. 

“The next great heresy will be an attack on morality, especially sexual morality.” 

“the effect of treating sex as only one innocent natural thing was that every other innocent natural thing became soaked and sodden with sex. For sex cannot be admitted to a mere equality among elementary emotions or experiences like eating and sleeping. The moment sex ceases to be a servant it becomes a tyrant.”

“Decadents may like living in a dream which they can alter at any moment to suit themselves, in which they can create causes without creating consequences, in which they can pervert the future or unmake the past. But I think a decent working man of any class, whether he is working at cube roots or cabbage roots, ought to be glad that, as he sows, so shall he surely reap.” 

“This triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.”

SCOTUS Shmotus

I have sent an email to parishioners of St. Stephen's information them that I will address the ruling by the Supreme Court regarding homosexual marriage from the pulpit this Sunday.  I recommend to any who look at this blog to read the symposium provided by First Things.  http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2015/06/after-obergefell-a-first-things-symposium