Pat Robertson Says Divorce Okay if Spouse has Alzheimer’s | Liveblog | Christianity Todayhttp://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2011/09/pat_robertson_s.htmlCo-host Terry Meeuwsen asked Pat, “But isn’t that the vow that we take when we marry someone? That it’s For better or for worse. For richer or poorer?”Robertson said that the viewer’s friend could obey this vow of “death till you part” because the disease was a “kind of death.” Robertson said he would understand if someone started another relationship out of a need for companionship.

Mr. Robertson’s own co-host didn’t seem comfortable with his remarks.

This is a sad commentary about the state of Western Christianity in our postmodern culture. The church is increasingly being shaped by the relative morality of the world around us.

Mr. Robertson has essentially declared that figurative death releases husband and wife from the bonds of marriage. Following his line of reasoning, one could easily justify homosexual “marriage” on the grounds that one partner is figuratively a husband and the other is figuratively a wife. And there could be many other examples of such figurative interpretations of Bible passages that are clearly prohibitive of divorce or that require lifelong committed marriage.

We see in Ephesians 5 that marriage is to reflect the love that Christ has for his church (particularly in Ephesians 5:25, which says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”). Christ sacrificed his own body for the sake of his bride the church. He condescended from his heavenly throne to become a man of low estate so that he might win his bride. He sacrificed himself so that the church might know his love. The Scriptures admonish husbands to love their wives in the same way so that they may exhibit to the world an example of Christ’s love for his church.

If a man divorces his wife because she contracts a disease, what example is he giving the world about Christ’s love? Sadly, he is suggesting to the world that Christ will forsake us in our moment of need, of vulnerability, of impotence. This is contrary to all that the Scriptures tell us about the love of Christ. The Lord is faithful and will never forsake us. Christ sacrificed himself for us even when he knew we were diseased with sin and incapable of healing ourselves, when we didn’t realize his identity as Savior and Lord of the universe.

Thanks be to God that he did not forsake us when we were incapable of knowing who he is, when we were incapable of providing companionship to him, when we were incapacitated by the wickedness of our hearts.

While in Afghanistan, the 2nd Engineer Battalion Bible studies proved to be a relief to Soldiers during their tour, and now the battalion is bringing those studies back home.

Chaplain Daniel Sparks started the battalion Bible studies before Soldiers deployed for Afghanistan in December 2008.

Read more at http://www.missileranger.com/artman/publish/article_5631.shtml

The Diocese of Mid-America, being a part of the Reformed Episcopal Church, which is a member of the Anglican Church in North America, in seeking to uphold and remain faithful to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Reformed Episcopal Church, hereby reaffirms the following articles of the Reformed Episcopal Church Constitution as our understanding of the doctrinal standards, which are binding on all REC clergy and parishes and missions.

ARTICLE III

Doctrinal Position

This Church holds the Faith as once delivered to the saints, and as transmitted through the Church of England, especially as articulated in her Reformation heritage, the range of her Anglican divines, and as deposited in the founding principles of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Furthermore, this Church affirms Holy Scripture as the Word of God, the three ancient creeds, commonly known as the Nicene, Apostles’ and Creed of Athanasius, and the dogmatic definitions of the first four ecumenical councils of the undivided church. It also holds the following unalterable historical documents to be a part of the received Body of its Doctrine:

(1) The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion in their 1801 form.

(2) The Declaration of Principles of 1873, as adopted by the first General Council of this Church.

(3) The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral of 1886-1888.

These documents, and short summaries of the ecumenical councils, shall be appended at the end of the Constitution and Canons.

ARTICLE IV

Of Erroneous or Strange Teaching

Section 1 Nothing calculated to teach that in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, the elements of the bread and wine are changed into the natural Flesh and Blood of Christ, shall ever be allowed in the worship or teaching of this Church. Nor shall any practice that teaches or promotes doctrines or practices specifically prohibited by the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion be permitted in this Church.

Section 2 No person shall be admitted or received as Deacon, Presbyter, or Bishop except, in each instance, he shall subscribe to the following oath, in writing, in the presence of two Presbyters in good standing of this Church, who shall sign as witnesses.

“In the Name of God, Amen. I __A. B. _ do solemnly swear that I believe the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that Holy Scripture contains all things necessary for salvation. I do believe and accept the received Body of Doctrine, Discipline and Worship of this Church, as set forth in the Constitution and Canons of the same, and will conform thereto, the Lord being my helper.”

Section 3 The foregoing oath, duly executed and witnessed, shall be delivered to the Bishop presiding as testimonial during the service of ordination or reception of every clergyman at the time of his presentation to the same for the laying on of hands.

This resolution is commended to other dioceses of the REC and to the 54th General Council of the REC.

I am pleased to see this resolution passed. It is important, from time to time, to state again our beliefs and to reaffirm our identity as Anglican Christians. This resolution is a simple reassertion of some of the critical pieces of our heritage and doctrine. I pray that it will help clergymen and laity throughout the church to recall these principles.

Ron is the lead pastor of Grace Community Church in Clarksville, Tennessee. Grace obviously isn’t an Anglican church, but it is a congregation that is making a big impact on the souls of many in its community. Ron also provides ministry consulting and conducts leadership seminars.

I had a couple of questions about ministry as a military chaplain. One was about how to disciple folks with whom I only have a couple of years to share. Ron helped me see that, unlike parochial ministry, mine is a sort of wayside interaction. Most soldiers will not be able to progress significantly over a two-year period (if I even have that long with them), but I can help them along their journey. While I am their chaplain, I can help point them in the right direction, connect them with other Christians, and push them along the track toward maturity in Christ.

My other question related to Army chaplaincy was that of how to reach the 18-25 year old post-post modern generation. How do I engage folks in self-reflection and critical thinking and encourage them to consider the truth of Christianity when they don’t even care? Apologetics is only useful if someone is willing to engage in the discussion. Many young adults today don’t have any internal unrest about holding contradictory beliefs. Ron emphasized building relationships with people so that we can show them the love and character of Christ. In the Army, we call this “ministry of presence.” Building friendships with soldiers shows them that I care about them. In their moment of need, they may turn to me to seek answers about the important questions of life. Ron also reminded me that conversion of the heart is in the Lord’s hands, not mine.

My last question was about a significant transition in ministry that I will undergo later this year. Ron recommended that I talk with one of my fellow clergymen who can help mentor me in the process of planning for the transition. Thinking ahead about how things will be different and developing a plan for the practical implications of the change are important parts of the picture. Ron suggested a step-by-step action plan would be a good place to begin the discussion with my mentor. I’d recently read Ron’s article “7 Suggestions When Interviewing for a Church Staff Position,” and found it helpful in thinking about my future ministry.

In all of these things, the most important point to remember is that God is in control. We should pray for his guidance and intervention, that we will be able to discern the Lord’s will. As we put our trust in him, he will strengthen us by his grace to accomplish his purpose.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to interact with Ron today. While I have several trustworthy colleagues in ministry to whom I turn to for advice, it was helpful to have some ears from outside of my circle to listen to my questions and offer constructive ideas. Based on my experience today, I highly recommend Ron to any clergymen or church elders who could use some outside input on their ministry and church leadership concerns.

What will you do when an emergency hits your parish?

The tornadoes that hit my home state of Alabama yesterday got me thinking about these questions. Are churches prepared for emergencies? If the churches I’m familiar with are any example, most churches have no plans at all.

Given events in recent history that have affected communities around the country and the world, the local church should be prepared to handle emergency situations. A natural disaster or other emergency could affect the parish church or the town where the church is located. Every church should have a plan to assist its members and the residents of its community in the event of a church or community emergency.

Here are a few questions to help you brainstorm about emergency preparedness.

How will you know if your parishioners are safe?

If a tornado strikes your community, how will you account for everyone? Do you have phone numbers and addresses for your members? What about the same info for frequent (or even occasional) visitors? Do you have a phone tree that could be used to check up on folks? Can parishioners call in to the church to let someone know their status?

What will you do if an emergency occurs during your worship service or other event?

If a deranged man walks into your building with a gun and starts shooting people, what is your security plan? Do you have security guards? If not, who in the church is trained in defensive tactics? What is your emergency evacuation plan and who will direct people during the evacuation? How will you alert police and other emergency services about what is happening?

What will your church do to support members of the congregation who are affected by the emergency?

If a hurricane hits your town and some of your parishioners lose their homes, how will you assist your church members? Do you have a food pantry or clothing closet? Are you able to take parishioners into other members’ homes? Are funds available to put members up in hotels? Do you have rooms in your church building in which folks could be temporarily housed? Are you connected with other organizations that could help—such as a ministerial association, church network, community food bank, etc.?

How will your church respond to the needs of those in your community who are affected by the emergency?

If your town is flooded, what will you do for those in your community who need assistance? Do you know who in your congregation owns boats and might be able to rescue others in town? Can you open your church kitchen to serve meals for those who are displaced from their homes? Can your Sunday school rooms be turned into temporary housing? Is your church building available to be used as a makeshift aid station?

Take action.

Every parish should consider the implications of an emergency on its ministry and functions. There are theological considerations in how we approach this topic. If we are truly the body of Christ, we will respond with generosity and kindness to those in our family who are in need. And we will reach out to those around us who are hurting. We will not simply pray that they may be clothed or fed; instead, we will give of our abundance to the needy.

Start this week by drafting a security plan for your congregation. Identify a security head. Even if yours is a tiny one-room church building in a rural area, find someone who takes the matter of security seriously. Help him put together a common sense plan that protects lives in the event of a security emergency.

Next week, continue your preparedness by drafting a congregational response plan that includes the following: accounting for the whereabouts and safety of your church members; phone and address rosters for contacting church members; assess the need and feasibility for maintaining emergency stores of food, clothing, blankets, and other emergency essentials.

Emergency preparedness and response is an ongoing concern that will need to be addressed occasionally in order to maintain a workable and effective plan. This is an area of pastoral ministry that can bring glory to the Lord as the church works to show compassion and charity to those within and without the body of Christ.

What is your parish doing to address emergency preparedness? Leave a comment to share your ideas with others!

In recent times, the term epic has come to be used to describe all sorts of things. From books and movies to the names of rather mundane churches, from ice cream to running and all sorts of human activities, epic is a widespread adjective these days. Apparently it also applies to Easter egg hunts.

And, apart from the bastardization of the English language, all of that might be okay. But if we think spiral-sliced hams, plastic eggs, and Starter running shoes are what make Easter epic, we’ve fallen a long way from reality.

Shortly before he was crucified, Christ prayed these words to God the Father (John 17:3): “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” Weighed against eternal life, fake eggs and juicy hams don’t seem important.

Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead was and is what makes Easter epic. Only Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross and his defeat of death and the grave can effect eternal life for mankind. The epic story of all time is the love and mercy of God shown in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

To learn more about having your own epic Easter, drop me a line.

photo credit: Paraflyer

Introduction

Today is the Second Sunday After the Epiphany. Epiphany is on January 6^th and the season extends for two to six weeks, depending on the date of Easter each year. An “epiphany” is a sudden realization or manifestation of some fact. In the church, during Epiphanytide, we mark the manifestation of Jesus as the long-promised messiah sent by God the Father. On January 6^th, we remember the coming of the three kings to bring gifts to Jesus two years after his birth. They came to honor the king foretold by the prophets and born in their time, the king who rules over all. Today, we mark the baptism of Jesus. And next week, we will look at Christ’s first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana.

The season of Epiphany encapsulates the realization of who Christ is and what he came to do in the world. It was early in Jesus’ ministry that he was clearly revealed to be the Son of God sent by the Father to be a light to the nations, to restore mankind to the proper relationship with God.

Baptism for the Remission of Sins

In the Gospel passage for today, we read of St. John Baptist doing that which earned him the title of “Baptist”. He is preaching, calling people to repentance. And he is baptizing them for the remission of their sins.

John the Baptist’s role in the life of Christ was foretold by the prophets. As this passage tells us, “…it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” As we read here and elsewhere in the Scripture, John told the people of the area that Jesus was coming. He told them that Christ would be revealed in their time, and that they should be prepared for him.

In preparation for the ministry of Christ, John was calling on the people to repent. This is something that we all must do. We must acknowledge our sins before God, our sins against God. The Lord our God is holy, and we have offended against his holy nature by our common and frequent misdeeds. Whether in lying or greed or sexual immorality, we have done those things which are abominable in his sight. Whether in sloth or gluttony or covetousness or failure to acknowledge the Lord, we have done those things which assault his holy character. And we must repent.

This was the message of John. He preached the “baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” What is meant by that phrase? In the Jewish tradition of the time, baptisms were common. They were carried out to show an outward sign that a person had committed himself to follow the Law of God, that he had repented of his sins and been washed clean of them. The term “remission” means that his sins are done away with, his debt satisfied. So, in calling on the people to be baptized, John is asking them to give a sign of their commitment to the Lord and as an indication that their sins have been forgiven. And we read how the people responded by confessing their sins and being baptized.

The Baptism of Christ

As John was preaching and baptizing, Jesus came from Nazareth to the Jordan River. There John baptized him. What was the purpose of this baptism? We know that Christ had no sin to confess, needed no repentance, and—therefore—required no forgiveness. He was holy and blameless from his birth; why would he then be baptized?

One reason for Christ’s baptism is that of example. Through his baptism, Christ shows us that repentance and remission of sin is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. Through his own action, Jesus shows us that baptism is a necessary step in our obedience to him. He confirmed this after his resurrection when he commanded the apostles to baptize, saying, “… All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” [Matthew 23:18-20] Through Christ’s obedience to the Father, he has given us an example to follow.

Something else happened at Jesus’ baptism. He was not only giving us an example, and later a commandment for baptism, but he was also revealing himself as the Son of God. How was he doing this through the simple act of being washed in water? He was showing his role as the sacrifice for our sins. In the early days of his public ministry, Christ was already taking upon himself the sins of the whole world. His baptism was a sign that he had taken upon him the sins of us all. Though he had no sin within himself, he took upon himself the consequences of our sins so that he might pay the penalty for them on our behalf. His baptism shows that he took those sins into the water as a confession of them so that, through the act of his death on a cross for our sake, we might be cleansed of all unrighteousness.

Through Christ’s submission to the Father’s will, even in the example of baptism for the remission of sins, Christ has shown us the way to the Father. And the Father affirmed Jesus’ publicly. As Christ came out of the water, the skies opened, the Holy Ghost came upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father spoke: “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Because Christ showed the necessity of repentance and forgiveness of sins, and because he showed himself willing to take upon himself the sins of us all, to be the intermediary between sinful man and holy God, the Father spoke of his love and joy toward Jesus the Son.

Conclusion

While he was preaching and baptizing in the Jordan, John said, “… There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.” John’s baptism was one of water, one of symbol only. The baptism that Christ commands is one of water as a sign but of Spirit in nature.

St. Paul wrote of the spiritual nature of baptism. In his letter to the church at Rome, he said, [Romans 6:3-6]

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Just as Christ was crucified, died, and was buried, we are buried in baptism. Our sins are buried in baptism. Our old man, our old nature toward sin and the bondage of sin, is crucified with Christ in baptism. And, just “as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,” we come out of the baptismal waters with new life—the life of the Spirit of God, the life of a clean soul, the life of one reconciled to God. We are no longer the servants of sin, but we are become the servants of God.

When we, in faith, trust in the Lord, we have the power to overcome sin. That does not mean that the temptations of the world around us disappear. But it means that we are not bound to yield to those temptations. It means that, even if we stumble, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who intercedes for mercy on our behalf. We are no longer bound to sin and unrighteousness, but we are bound to holiness and righteousness. We no longer bear a reproach against the majesty of God, but we bring honor to his name.

St. Paul wrote in his epistle to the Galatians, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” [Galatians 3:26-27] Let us put on the nature of Christ. The nature that Jesus displayed while on earth was one of submission to the Father, of obedience to the Father’s will. Let us, in faith, put on that same nature. We do so in the sacrament of baptism, whereby the Lord, through an outward and visible sign, bestows upon us an inward and spiritual grace. It is through this act of our repentance that Christ gives us strength to follow him. And it is through our faith displayed that we are become the children of God.

The socialist program of the current Congress has led to this out-of-control spending. The American people are more burdened with the expense of socialist public policy than ever before. We are more burdened than ever with the tyranny of an oppressive government that eats out the substance of our productivity and punishes those who maintain personal responsibility in their homes and businesses.

Terence Jeffrey makes some interesting observations about the current White House administration and free speech. In the column linked below, he notes that the Obama administration wishes to restrict political speech during periods of time around elections. Not only does this involve the repression of free speech through control of electronic book (e-book) distribution, but such a policy could well be used to restrict all political speech over the internet.

 

Keep the FCC Out of the Internet | CNSnews.com http://cnsnews.com/commentary/article/keep-fcc-out-internetIn other words, the Obama administration believes it can bar a publisher from electronically selling a book via satellite, cable or broadcast media in an election year if the book advocates throwing someone out of Congress or the White House.

Quite clearly, the U.S. Constitution prohibits the interference of the federal government in such a matter: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press …” (First Amendment). If Congress cannot make law abridging free speech, no organism established by Congress can do so. The FCC is a blight on the liberty of this nation. Though the minders of the FCC are instituting rules to restrict the free market surrounding the internet under the guise of protecting the consumer, such meddling in the market and with the tools of free speech can only lead to a further encroachment–indeed tyranny–of the people’s liberties.

Planned Parenthood’s Federal Funding Rose to $363.2 Million in FY 2008-2009 — Number of Planned Parenthood Abortions Rose to 324,008 in 2008 | CNSnews.com http://cnsnews.com/news/article/planned-parenthood-annual-report-shows-3(CNSNews.com) –According to its annual report for fiscal year 2008-2009, the amount of revenue Planned Parenthood received from federal grants and contracts was $363.2 million, which is up from $349.6 million (in FY2007-08), and represents a $13.6 million increase.

Government should have no role in funding organizations such as Planned Parenthood. Instead, every government should be involved in protecting the life of its citizens, including the innocent babes in the womb.