The Easy Way

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God."
(1 Corinthians 4:1).

Wouldn’t it be nice if Paul, in the above scripture, were referencing himself and a few followers? Sure would make it easier to do this church thing. Pick out a few folks to carry the load for us as we sit back and enjoy the ride without any responsibility to our faith. How easy would that be? Well, I have some bad news folks; there is no easy way. We are not allowed as Christians to choose a few folks to be religious on our behalf. It’s not allowed for us to divide our time so that an hour here or there belongs to God while the rest of our time belongs to us to do with as we please.

To be a Christian means that we have to stand up and be counted on our own…to be known every day and in everything we do; that we are the ministers of Christ and the stewards of the mysteries of God. This Advent three is called Joy Sunday. The reason is simple: as Christians we realize that the Church exists forever and that we have eternal life by God’s Grace. We are also called to give praise to God in Christ by an entirely dedicated life of on this earth - by action and by being good stewards of the gifts we have been given.


If you remember anything I write about remember this; what makes us Christians is that we are washed in the blood of the Son of God made man, and that blood was shed for us on a cross. So as we look with Joy towards the manger this Advent 3, keep in mind we do so in the shadow of the cross. It may be easier to celebrate Christmas without that shadow but it is only half the story. Is it inconvenient sometimes to be a Christian? Yes, the easy way is to be Christian only when it suits our purpose. But, it falsely represents who we are and waters down the Gospel. There are enough churches in the world already who have taken the easy way.


We expect our bishops, priests, and deacons to be godly men, to preach God’s Word to us, to administer the Sacraments, and to lead us in our prayers, but we don’t want them leading our lives for us. So guess what, being a good steward means that we don’t give up reading the Bible, saying prayers, or doing good works ourselves on our own.


Every Christian, in every walk of life, is meant to be the hands that carry out the will of God given in the Scriptures. Look at it this way; a mystery is a truth that can only be known if God reveals it. A steward is someone who protects and preserves what belongs to his master. So, we are supposed to preserve the “mysteries that God has revealed,” because it belongs to God and not to us. The easy way is the notion that we have a responsibility to attend church when it suits us and no more…to give when it suits us but not to the point that it takes away from our own wants and desires.


The Good News of the revealed mysteries from God is that they always lead to the promise that if we make the effort to be good ministers and good stewards, we have the gift of eternal life. And living forever with Christ is worth all the effort.


Be a Faithful Steward,

Bishop Ian

The Second Sunday in Advent

"BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen." (Collect for Second Sunday in Advent 1928 BCP pg 92)

Advent 2 for most 1928 prayer book Anglicans has always been called "Bible Sunday.” No, it’s not the day we decide to bring bibles to church and parade around the sanctuary. Rather it’s because The Collect, which dates from the Reformation, asks for God's grace that we might"...read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest..." the sacred scriptures. At that time, Thomas Cranmer, (First Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry the VIII), issued a decree that an English Bible should be placed in every church. One of the great things about the Reformation was the desire of the leaders to give the Bible to the people. The problem? Most of the people couldn’t read. So, the bible became the reading primer of the day. Imagine that in today’s modern public schools.

"Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning: that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." (Romans 15:4)

In the epistle appointed for Advent 2, St. Paul refers to the Scriptures, meaning the Old Testament. There was no New Testament at the time since Paul was busy writing some of it. In doing so he was revealing the truths of the Old Testament, arguing that they always point to Jesus.

Christianity is a religion of revelation. Essentially, what Jews and Christians believe is clear in what God revealed to us in his word. I get asked all the time what’s the difference between traditional orthodox Episcopalians, and the liberal humanist church. When asked about their beliefs, most liberal humanists (or atheists) would say, "I think" or "I feel…” Any good traditionalist worth his salt would reply to the same question, 'But, the Bible says this about it...' Big difference - yes?

St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, calls Jesus, "a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." Paul is telling the Romans that Jesus is the promised Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. But he also points out those revealed promises are for all men.

There use to be a time when the church actually taught that it was a good thing to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Scriptures. The present attitude found in so many modernist parishes is the notion that the church has out grown scripture in favor of well, anything else.

My challenge to each and every person who reads this blog is for you to read the Bible on your own every day. Look at the Psalms and Lessons index at the front of your prayer book; it’s a great place to start. The whole idea of a Bible study is to keep you strong as you go through this life. You will soon discover that there is something even better for you in the next.

"Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning: that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." (Romans 15:4)

Be Comforted,

Bishop Ian