The Best of All New Year's Resolutions

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,with all your soul,with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it,is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."
(Jesus from Mark 12:30,31).

Our Time

It is wrong to waste our time, wrong to waste our thoughts. We lose every moment that we devote to self-seeking. If every moment were valued and rightly employed, we should have time for everything that we need to do for ourselves or for the world. In the expenditure of money,in the use of time,strength,opportunities,let every Christian look to God for guidance.
(from The Ministry of Healing).
There are no guarantees as to how long we will have on this earth,may we treasure and use that time wisely.

For the Preservation of Peace

Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray thee, in the hearts of all men the true love of peace, and guide with thy pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility thy kingdom may go forward till the earth be filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(from The Scottish Book of Common Prayer,1929).

Kindness

Kindness has converted more sinners than either zeal,eloquence,or learning; and these three last have never converted any one unless they were kind also. In short, kindness makes us as Gods to each other. Yet while it lifts us so high,it sweetly keeps us low. For the continual sense which a kind heart has of its own need of kindness keeps it humble. (thoughts from Father Faber on kindness).

This Day

" At the falling of another, Be it friend, or be it brother, Never sneer, and ne'er deride, Help the weak and conquer pride. Let no good by thee be marred, Let no duty seem too hard, In all things bravely do your best, And then to God we'll leave the rest. If we sit down at set of sun, And count the things that we have done, And counting find One self-denying act,one-word That eased the heart of him who heard, One glance most kind, That fell like sunshine where it went,Then we may count the day well spent."
(from The Little Treasury of Leaflets).
So beautiful and well said, something all of us should read as each day begins.

Act of Love

O Jesus,my God,infinite Love,Source, and Fount of all that is true,of all that is good,of all that is beautiful,how can I help loving Thee,both because of Thine own infinite goodness and because of Thy goodness and kindness to me! My Jesus! I love Thee with my whole heart. Oh! may I love Thee daily more and more! Amen!
(from My Prayer=Book by Rev.F.X.Lasance).
There's something very special about the prayers you find in old prayerbooks.

St. Stephen Our First Martyr (Protomartyr)

In The Books of Acts,chapters 6 and 7, we read about Stephen,the first martyr of the Christian Church. He was one of seven chosen by the Apostles to look after the daily needs of the poor within the Church.He was described as a man of faith and power who did "great signs and wonders among the people". Because of his preaching, "the Word of God spread, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem." As had happened with Jesus, the Jews became jealous and began to falsely accuse him of blasphemy. Stephen subsequently was brought before a council of the synagogue to give an answer to this charge.In chapter seven of The Book of Acts, he provides an incredible and impassioned defense of the Christian faith by giving a "history" of the Old Testament concluding with a condemnation of the Jewish leaders for rejecting Jesus.For his testimony, Stephen is stoned to death.Is it any wonder that the Church recognizes Stephen on December 26? I would urge everyone to reread The Book of Acts, Chapters 6 and 7.
I find it interesting that the accusers of Stephen,when they heard him proclaim that he saw "the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God they, "stopped their ears" and ran at him to get him out of the city. It sort of makes you think of the extreme reaction of people to the mention and display of things pertaining to Jesus and God in this present day and age.

A Collect For Christmas Day

Almighty God, who hast given us thy only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin: Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adopton and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit: through the same our Lord Jesus Christ,who livest and reignest with thee and the same Spirit,ever one God,world without end. Amen.
(from The Scottish Book of Common Prayer)

Trust Not in Man

We are prone to look to our fellow men for sympathy and uplifting, instead of looking to Jesus. In His mercy and faithfulness God often permits those in whom we place confidence to fail us,in order that we may learn the folly of trusting in man and making flesh our arm. Let us trust fully,humbly,unselfishly in God. He knows the sorrows that we feel to the depths of our being,but which we cannot express. When all things seem dark and unexplainable,remember the words of Christ, "What I do thou knowest not now; but though shall know hereafter." John 13:7.
(from The Ministry of Healing).
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart.

For Josiah

Josiah died far too young of a disease that takes so many each year. No words, no matter how true and well meaning, will soften the hurt and pain of his no longer being among us; a young man who was a blessing to his family and to all who knew him. Below is a prayer for Josiah,his family and friends.May it be a comfort to them all.

O Lord Jesus Christ,who didst take the children into thine arms and bless them: Open thou our eyes,we beseech thee, that we may perceive that thou hast now taken this young man into the arms of thy love, and hast bestowed upon him the blessings of thy gracious favour; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit,one God,world without end. Amen.

The Next Advent

Great God,what do I see and hear? The end of things created: The Judge of all men doth appear On clouds of glory seated: The trumpet sounds,the graves restore The dead which they contain'd before; Prepare, my soul, to meet Him.
The dead in Christ are first to rise At that last trumpet's sounding; Caught up to meet Him in the skies, With joy their Lord surrounding: No gloomy fears their souls dismay; His Presence sheds eternal day On those prepared to meet Him.
The ungodly,fill'd with guilty fears, Behold His wrath prevailing; In woe they rise,but all their tears And sighs are unavailing: The day of grace is past and gone; Trembling they stand before His Throne, All unprepared to meet Him.
Great Judge,to Thee our prayers we pour, In deep abasement bending; O shield us through that last dread hour, Thy wondrous love extending: May we, in this our trial day, With faithful hearts Thy word obey,And thus prepare to meet thee.
(from The Scottish Book of Common Prayer,Hymns Ancient and Modern).
As prophecies foretold Our Lord's first coming (Advent),they speak of a glorious one that is to come.

A Hymn for Advent

Come,Thou long-expected Jesus,Born to set Thy people free; from our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel's strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou Art; Dear Desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart. Born Thy people to deliver; Born a child and yet a King; Born to reign in us forever; Now Thy gracious kingdom bring. By Thy own eternal Spirit, Rule in all our hearts alone: By Thy all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
(Hymns Ancient and Modern from The Scottish Book of Common Prayer).

A Prayer For Vigilance

Grant unto Thy people,we beseech Thee, Almighty God,grace to wait with all vigilance for the Coming of Thine Only-Begotten Son, and to be enkindled by Thy Spirit; that our souls, being filled by the Divine gift, may be prepared to meet Him, and shine like blazing lamps before His Presense; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(from Daily Prayer and Praise by The Orthodox Anglican Church).
May we be found waiting,watching and ready at Our Lord's Second Advent.

...And They'll Take a Mile

Recently an incident took place in Wilmington,North Carolina that made the national news. No, the coverage wasn't about a horrendous homicide,nor did it pertain to a celebrity visiting the Port City. This incident was about a "holiday" play that featured very young elementary
school children. Now, I'm sure that many of you are assuming that this play featured some singing or portrayal of Christian themes relating to the birth of Jesus that aroused the ire of a parent,or parents. This of course has been an all too familiar occurence in recent decades and has been mentioned in a recent posting on this site. By using and twisting the amendment that speaks of the separation of church and state,the minority who are antagonistic to the Christian faith are busily working towards eliminating all things relating to that faith from the public venue.Consequently,we now have in our schools such absudities as winter recess or holiday vacation in place of Christmas break. Plays,programs and other festivities have been renamed and made devoid of any Christian connotation.
So what happened at this school program that led it to receive national coverage? Apparently, one of the songs sung,or to be sung, was called Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Christians might ask,that's one of the safe ones isn't it? I mean, it's not like Away in the Manger or O Little Town of Bethlehem where they mention Jesus. Well, a parent of one of the children in the play is Jewish and was highly offended that the word Christmas was used in the song. After complaining to school officials, the song was removed. We now all need to take a moment to consider what this seemingly absurd acquiescense to a parent's complaint might be a forerunner of. First think about this,is there a more innocuous "holiday" song than Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"? Then consider the following, is it inconceivable that in the not too distant future that an employer could require that employees not wear crosses or crucifixes while at work because they might offend those of other faiths and beliefs? Another scenario, how 'bout landlords and rental companies specifying in their leases that tenets not display crosses,nativity scenes,etc in their windows or on their lawns because of the same reason given by employers? The big question is,what will you do if and when it happens? Will you make a stand or remain silent? You say this won't occur? If you told me 40 years ago that Christ themed carols and wishing someone Merry Christmas in retail stores and on the airwaves would become increasingly rare, I would have called you crazy.It's said that 85% of Americans describe themselves as Christian. Yet we as Christians have allowed our faith to be degraded,ridiculed and marginalized with very little response for far too long. Have we forgotten that millions around the world have suffered and died for their Christian faith? Remember this: Jesus said; "if you deny Me before men,I will deny you before My Father." Protests,boycotts, and letter writing campaigns are still effective measures for Christians to express themselves. We must as believers use them! Our complacency will be ruinous otherwise. There's an old expression,"give him an inch and he'll take a mile." Brethren, those who despise our faith are taking a mile and aren't stopping there. If you don't believe me,just think of Rudolph.

You've Done it Unto Him

Jesus,show us the real needs of others. You told us that when we do anything to any of your brothers---and ours---in the world,we actually do it to you. When, Lord, do we pass you by because we pass by one of your brothers who is in need? Teach us to see your face, Jesus, when we look into our brother's faces. Amen.
(from Are You Running With Me,Jesus? by Malcolm Boyd,1965).
A powerful call to compassion and action was made by Our Lord when He said; "when you've done it unto the least of these, you've done it unto me."

Why The Book of Psalms (Psalter) Is Essential to Christian Worship

The Psalter is the prayerbook of the people of God.Already in the centuries preceding the birth of our Lord the Book of Psalms was prayed by the Hebrew people.First in the temple and later in the synagogues,the psalms formed a major part of Jewish liturgy in which all the people regularly took part.Thus it happened that the worship and spirit of the Jews were formed in good measure by the Book of Psalms. The Blessed Virgin Mary,Saint Joseph,Saints Elizabeth,Zachary,John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus himself prayed the psalms and were formed in their spirit from earliest childhood. And the influence of the Psalter upon the Apostles and the earliest Christian community is abundantly evident from the pages of the New Testament where there are found some one hundred and sixteen citations from the Book of Psalms.
The Psalter occupies a central place in the understanding of the New Testament and of the person of Jesus and his function in the history of salvation.Our Lord himself made this point clear when,speaking to the disciples after his resurrection,he told them how his life and death were foretold by "the laws of Moses,the prophets and the psalms" (Lk. 24:44).Jesus himself continued to pray the Psalter throughout his life,singing psalms at the Last Supper and praying the words of Psalm 22 upon the cross.
Many men and women of all backgrounds,laity and clergy alike,have discovered the psalms as a form of prayer that add a new dimension to their spiritual life.The psalms themselves are inspired words; they are,ultimately,a part of God's revelation to his people.They also give expression to a wide variety of human situations as lived before God and so provide a broad spectrum of rich experience lived in faith.They record life's struggles,fears and anxieties,but also hope in God,trust in his mercy,certitude of victory,exultation and joy and thanksgiving.Above all they give expression to praise of God for his goodness,for his wisdom and mercy and love.
The result of praying the psalms is that the attitudes proper to worship and praise of God become a part of our own consciousness.
(by John Eudes Bamberger,Abbot of the Genesee).

Living His Way

"Forbearance and unselfishness mark the words and acts of all who live the new life in Christ. As you seek to live His life, striving to conquer self and selfishness and to minister to the needs of others, you will gain victory after victory. Thus your influence will bless the world."
(from The Ministry of Healing).
In striving to follow His way,everyone benefits.

Prayer For the Third Sunday in Advent

O Lord Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee: Grant that the ministers and stewarts of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way,by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit,ever one God,world without end. Amen.
(from The Scottish Book of Common Prayer).
The first time He came as a babe in a manger,the second time he will be coming as judge of the world.

Two Advents

"And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."
(from Luke, Chapter 2:7).
"...why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus,who was taken up from you into heaven,will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
(from Acts1:11).
We are presently in the Advent season which precedes Christmas.Advent is a Latin word that means coming.The first quote from Luke relates the account of Our Lord's first Advent as a baby.The second passage from Acts speaks of a time that is to come when Jesus returns,His second Advent. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Our Lord and all that it meant,we as true believers should also eagerly await and prepare for His return.

A Simple Prayer

Dispose our days in Thy peace,O Lord, and rescue us from condemnation,and make us to be numbered in the flock of Thine elect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(from Daily Prayer and Praise from The Orthodox Anglican Church).

What Are They Afraid Of ?

As the Christmas season approaches, we again hear of the all to familiar attacks on this holy day taking place around the United States. Whether it pertains to the eliminating of nativity scenes,the banning of Christmas carols and school plays, or the questioning if it is even a legitimate holy day; certain segments of this country have a real problem with Christmas. Interestingly,other faiths and belief systems are rarely challenged. Anybody recall criticism directed towards Kawanza or holy days pertaining to the Muslim and Jewish faiths? Ever see television programs questioning the existence,legitimacy and practices of Islam,or,the Jewish people? Of course you don't. Everything that relates to the Christian faith seems to be fair game for the media and public.Can you imagine the uproar that would arise if some of these slanderous attacks were directed to those other two faiths? Why is this? Jesus once said,"if you love me,the world will hate you." What are they afraid of?

For Protection

Be present, O Lord, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, that we who are wearied with the work and changes of this fleeting world, may rest upon Thy eternal changelessness. Amen.
( A sixth century collect).

Come Unto Me

He who took humanity upon Himself knows how to sympathize with the sufferings of humanity. He desires us to lay our perplexities and troubles at His feet and leave them there.
We must not forget that Our Lord was in all ways tempted,he really does understand what we go through each and every day.Call upon Him first for every worry and problem, "trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding."

A Prayer For All Our Needs

O God who givest light to every man, illumine us anew with increase of faith and understanding. Cast out of our minds all unbecoming thoughts, all false and crooked reasonings. Banish from our hearts all pride and hardness and all perverse desires. Bestow on us such protective grace that no harm may happen to our souls, that every ill may be turned to good, and our hearts be full of dutiful and holy love. Enable us to take up our cross daily and follow in the footsteps of our loving Saviour, in fellowship with all Thy saints,whose prayers we beg,whose intercession we implore, through the same Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
(from The Prayer Book,edited by Rev. John P. O'Connell,1959).

The Gospel

The man who is alive to God does not allow the word of the Gospel to slip away from him or be forgotten. Rather, in respect,reverence,and fear he makes it as a crown for his head and sets it over his whole life.
(from The Communion of Love by Matthew the Poor).
We believers must guard against reading the Bible casually and not acting upon what we read.

This Psalm

"This Psalm is spoken in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, both head and members. He is the head,we are the members. Not without good reason then, his voice is ours and our voice is also his. Let us therefore listen to the Psalm and recognize in it the voice of Christ."
(from St. Augustine).
The Psalms are the most frequently quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament. It is a book for public worship and individual devotional guidance. Seventeen psalms and many others are messianic in that they point to Christ. For these reasons,the psalms should be a daily part of our devotional life.

A Thought For Today

This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is important because I'm exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever,leaving in its place something I have traded for it. I want it to to be gain,not loss; good, not evil; success,not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it.
(published from the Abbey of Genesee).

On Child Rearing

Mothers should guard against training their children to be dependent and self-absorbed. Never lead them to think that they are the center, and that everything must revolve around them. Some parents give much time and attention to amusing their children,but children should be trained to amuse themselves,to exercise their own ingenuity and skill. Thus they will learn to be content with very simple pleasures.
(from The Ministry of Healing).
My,my,how things have changed. In this generation where building self-esteem is endlessly promoted,the above advice seems so old-fashioned.The reality is,is that we now have a generation of children who are more egocentric and preoccupied with being entertained than any previous one.Because of this, they will be ill-prepared for adulthood.

A Prayer for Friends and Relatives

Look down with mercy,O Lord, on with those whom Thou hast joined us by the ties of friendship and of blood. Grant that they,together with us,may live completely in accord with Thy holy will. Being cleansed from all stain of sin,may we be found worthy,by the promptings of Thy grace, to share the happiness of Thy heavenly kingdom. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ,Thy Son,who with Thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost,God,world without end. Amen.
(Gallican Sacramentary).

For Divine Protection

Through Thy peace, O Christ, Redeemer, which passeth all understanding, fortify us, and secure us from all evil; include us in the number of Thy true adorers, who worship Thee in spirit and in truth; for to all the Holy Trinity belongs glory,power, and honor,now and ever,world without end. Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Armenian Liturgy).
In an increasingly immoral and dangerous world this is a much needed prayer.

Education of Our Youth

" Philosophical speculation and scientific research in which God is not acknowledged are making skeptics of thousands. In the schools of today the conclusions that learned men have reached as the result of their scientific investigations are carefully taught and fully explained; while the impression is distinctly given that if these learned men are correct,the Bible cannot be. Skepticism is attractive to the human mind. The youth see in it an independence that captivates the imagination, and they are deceived. Satan triumphs. He nourishes every seed of doubt that is sown in young hearts. He causes it to grow and bear fruit,and soon a plentiful harvest of infidelity is reaped."
(from The Ministry of Healing).
The author's view on skepticism is so true.
Parents must keep a very close watch on what their children are being taught in public and private schools. A disdain and lack of respect for the Christian faith which was once exclusive to colleges and universities has now come upon our middle and high schools.