Happy Birthday, Church!

We recently celebrated the Great Feast of Pentecost or “Whitsunday”, which marks the birth of the Church following the descent of the Holy Ghost 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ.

Why do we call it Whitsunday? It is so called from the white garments which were worn by those baptized during the vigil, and Pentecost is the Greek for “fiftieth”.

God Works from the Inside Out. That is the great message of Pentecost Sunday, isn't it? This is what the disciples finally came to understand at Pentecost. Jesus had ascended into heaven. And He had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit.

Here is where the story of Pentecost picks up. The disciples are back in the Upper.

They were there (1) in a place of remembrance; (2) they were there living in community, in unity, together, but in fear.

Just then they heard a sound. The breath of God began to blow on that place like the rush of a mighty wind. Images of fire danced around them. Suddenly, their fear was gone, replaced by peace and confidence, courage and strength and unity and they began to speak and communicate the word of God boldly and amazingly people from all different backgrounds heard and responded and 3,000 people were converted that day.

It's interesting to note that the three classic symbols for the Holy Spirit in the Bible remind us of how God works through us and how God works from the inside out. Do you remember what they are? The three traditional symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible: Breath: the symbol of Life. Fire: the symbol of Power. The descending dove: the symbol of Peace.

We have all we need to live a godly life here on earth. But what do we now do with all this?

The news on the day of that first Pentecost was that there was a gathering, unity, obedience to the will of God, and community. A togetherness. The news on the 2016th anniversary of Pentecost is division, limiting the action of the Holy Spirit, confining Christianity within the four walls of the church (Separation church – politics), and culture change.

Friday, the America government again made history by issuing a policy that every public school in the US must allowed “transgender” students to use the bathroom they identify themselves with. We are now just like Sodom and Gomorrah where bad is no longer bad, wrong is no longer wrong, evil is celebrated and established as rule, the law of the land.

Ronald Reagan in his speech at the prayer breakfast in 1984 said that he believed that George Washington knew that the city of men cannot survive without the city of God; that the visible city will perish without the invisible city. How can we survive without God, without the Holy Spirit of God? How can America survive if we Christians we fold our hands and let the evil spirit destroy this nation that had entrusted into our care?

Again Reagan in the same speech said this:” If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under”. Beloved, with policy issued by Obama on Friday (May 13, 2016), we are now under, make no mistake.

Now where do we go from here? Who or what will take us back to Eden, the mountain of God? Only the Holy Spirit can do it. And He will do it if:

1. We, individually and collectively, remain obedient to His motion, not ours.

2. We commit ourselves to teaching of the Church; if we do what the early Church did: They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Act2:42)

3. We take our coming together serious, meaning if we dedicate ourselves to the life of the Church.

May the Holy Spirit help us to grow to maturity by faith and obedience; by saying no to the false promises made to us by the evil one, and by feeding on the bread of life through the life of prayer.

As Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word: and My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

Peace and blessings!

Fr. Thierry

"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3).

We're BBQ'n again!

Our mouth watering special Valley Recipe Jumbo Legs are on sale again this Saturday from 10am until 1pm or until sold out. 

Jumbo Legs quarters $4ea. or 3 for $10!!!  
We will have a limited supply of breast quarters for $5 ea. First come, first served.

Hope to see you again!

10811 Staples Mill Road in Glen Allen. Just east of Springfield Road intersection. Exit 49B off I-295.
www.glenallenanglicans.org
804-248-8940

Lenton Devotion on Mark 1:40-45

Mark 1:40-45 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

Contracting leprosy was one of the most tragic things that could have happened to an individual in the ancient world. Whenever a leper was around other people, he was required to shout “unclean, unclean,” so passersby would know to keep their distance. A leper was required to live “alone, outside the camp,” so as to reduce the risk of transmitting his disease to others (Leviticus 13:45-46). To be a leper was to be isolated and humiliated perpetually. And then Jesus came and changed everything. One of the great beauties of the Gospels is how frequently they record Jesus’ interactions with lepers. He approached them and was approached by them. He treated them with respect and kindness. He even did the unthinkable: he touched them, and his touch made them clean. Jesus healed the lepers. Many biblical scholars have pointed out that there is an analogy between the physical condition of leprosy and the spiritual condition of sin. Sin in our hearts isolates us, both from God and from other people. Try as we might to hide it or remove it, the stain of sin remains present. Like Lady Macbeth, we try to wash away the stain of sin crying, “out damn’d spot,” all to no avail. We are unclean, and we know it. 

The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ is the contagiously clean man. When he touched a leper, Jesus did not contract leprosy. Rather, the leper became clean. Those trying in vain to remove their sin must allow themselves to be touched by the contagiously clean man. And, like the leper in the story, may we who have experienced that touch possess an uncontainable gratitude, talking freely about our encounter with the contagiously clean man. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Son who makes clean everything he touches. By his grace may our hearts and our actions be touched by him this day and everyday. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

Peace and blessings!

Fr. Thierry


"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay”(Habakkuk 2:3).

A Lenten Daily Devotion: Zechariah 12:10-14

Another daily devotion for Lent. We hope you enjoy these and will visit us to learn more.

Zechariah 12:10-14  And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Although Zechariah spoke these words, they were the words of the Lord. Yet how could this be? How could God say, “They look on me, on him whom they have pierced?” Could God be wounded? Even more puzzling, could God be “pierced” – which indicated a killing? In other words, could God die? Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy. Not only was he fully God, he was also fully man. Moreover, as the prophecy predicted, Jesus was the “only child” and “firstborn” Son of the Father (John 3:16). He died and, on the cross, he was pierced: “One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water” (John19:34).

The prophecy, however, said more. It said that those who pierced him would mourn because God would pour out on them “a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy.” In other words, the Spirit would open their eyes to see what they had done and how grievous their sin had been. This mourning would be widespread yet intimate – “the land shall mourn, each family by itself.”

In part, this prophecy was fulfilled at Pentecost. Peter said to his listeners, “You crucified and killed [Jesus] by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23). Then, upon hearing the gospel, they were “cut to the heart” and 3,000 were saved that day (Acts 2:37-41). Today, this prophecy is still being fulfilled. As the Spirit fills us with grace, we mourn over Christ’s death because we know that “he was wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5). In our sorrow, however, we also rejoice because his death “brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). 

Prayer

Lord, we confess that our sin pierced Jesus. Thus, we mourn and ask you to pour out your Spirit of grace and mercy. In humility, we rejoice that your loving-kindness never fails – while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). In Christ’s Name, Amen. 

Peace and blessings!


Fr. Thierry

"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay”(Habakkuk 2:3).