Growing Lower

Growing Lower

How do we grow and progress in the Christian life?

Welcome to the Light of Christ Weekly Podcast. Light of Christ Anglican Church is located in Georgetown, Texas at MLK and University Avenue. We are a modern expression of the ancient faith. You can learn more about us at lightofchristgeorgetown.org.

Our sermon sound bite today is based off of Christ’s teaching in Luke 14 verses, 7 through 11. “Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, when you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person.’ And then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place so that when your host comes, he may say to you, .Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For, everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

God's assessment is that we are sinners. But then, He follows that up with saying, “I love you. You are forgiven.” So He calls us to not say, “Me first!” But He calls us to say, “You first! Others first!” The Christian life, often we think of it as as growing upwards and being more and more Christlike, and that's true. But what's it mean to be more and more Christlike? I love what Saint Benedict says here. He says, “We want to come quickly to the top of that heavenly ascent to which we can only mount by lowliness.” Notice the paradox there. The way that we ascend is by doing what? Descending. Descending. The Christian growth in life is actually a growth downward. There's this paradox here, and it's only in the gospel where we can have a confident humility. Where we can accept what is true about ourselves. That that we do fail. But, at the same time know that we are loved and forgiven by God. And so we have this confidence based upon what God has done for us, yet this humility knowing that we do fail, and fail all the time.

And so, growth in the Christian walk is paradoxically a growth downward. And what of the person that truly confesses what we confess every Sunday? That we've sinned in this way? That we are not better than others? How does that person relate to others? Are they judgemental? Is there pride there? See, humility is fertile ground for love. When we see ourselves as sinners that are saved by the grace of God, by His love, then there is no place for us to say we are better than you. There's no place for us to wrangle to try to get first. There is only space then for love.

And why do we do this? Why do we do this? We do this because Jesus did it. He's our host. He didn't say “Me first.” He said, “You first. Others first.” Who had more right to sit at the best seat at the table than Jesus did? But, he ascended on high by first laying his life down. Although he had all the rights, although unlike us, he was not a sinner, what did he do? He served us all. He served us all on the cross. He took the lowest place. As he was raised up on the cross, he descended into the depth of our sin. He descended into the depth of death itself so that he could invite us into the wedding feast. Because of that, God has exalted him and placed him at the right hand of the Father.

Thank you for listening to the Light of Christ Weekly Podcast. Let us end our time together with a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer. You can find this prayer, The Collect For the Second Sunday of Christmas, on page 601.

Oh God, who wonderfully created and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature, grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity. Your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Where Will You Flee for Safety?

Where Will You Flee for Safety?

In a tumultuous world, where do we find safety?

Transcript: Welcome to the Light of Christ weekly podcast. Light of Christ Anglican Church is located in Georgetown, Texas at MLK and University Avenue. We are a modern expression of the ancient faith. You can learn more about us at lightofchristgeorgetown.org

Our sermon soundbite today comes from Isaiah chapter 28:14-16.

Isaiah confronts the leadership of Jerusalem, who have made a covenant with Egypt, and he strongly exhorts them to instead find their safety on the foundation, the stone that God has laid for them. Starting at verse 14, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem, because you have said, 'We have made a covenant with death and with Sheol, we have an agreement. When the overwhelming whip passes through, it will not come to us. For we have made lies a refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter.' Therefore, thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone. A tested stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. Whoever believes will not be in haste.'"

How does this apply to us? I think we live in tempestuous times. We live in a time where there's a lot that's changing. There's a lot of, I sense, fear and anxiety. Would you agree with me on that? There's just a lot of fear and anxiety.

We need to ask the question, where will we go? Where will we flee for safety? What is it that people are fearing? I talk to people all the time. I know people fear illness. Death. Loss of power. The American empire is beginning to collapse. There seems to be a diminishing of the church in our culture. The family is disintegrating. The Amazon forest is burning and that's only one of many environmental disasters.

There seems more and more, just a pressure for people to forsake the way of Jesus. This can create fear and anxiety. As a church, brothers and sisters, where will flee for safety? Will we ally ourselves with spiritual Egypt? Will we covenant with death? Will we flee to those old patterns of living in order to find safety? What does that look like? What am I talking about?

It could be a sin like alcoholism or drugs or sex addiction. It could be reactionary. Reactionary politics, looking for a political figure to save us. It could look like reactionary religion, even. Tribalism. It could look like giving up Jesus Christ entirely.

These covenants are covenants with death, and they lead to destruction. Isaiah gives us a better way. He asks us, will you flee to Jesus? He is the foundation of the city that God is building. The crucified and risen Christ is the one place in this world of change, where we can find the unchangeable, immovable God. The one that builds his house on the rock will never be moved.

I'd like to end. I'd like to end first with a personal story and then, I'd like to read Psalm 46, that we chanted. In my soul, I've been deeply disturbed this last week, at just various things happening in the world. I felt that anxiety. It's amazing when I go to the scripture a lot of times, that I'm preparing to preach, how often that scripture is perfect for where I'm at in my life. God is in control!

In all of the fear and anxiety, I asked myself, where do I flee for safety in all of this? The Holy Spirit prompted me. He said, "Look, go back. Get in touch again with your first love, Jesus. He is the cornerstone. Forget about all this stuff that's happening for a moment and turn your eyes on Jesus. Read the gospels, read his words, fall in love again with God revealed through Jesus. He is the refuge where you're safe.”

Psalm 46. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. The Holy habitation of the most high. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter. He utters his voice. The earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress."

Thank you for listening to the Light of Christ weekly podcast. Let us end our time together with a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer. You can find the Collect for Peace on page 23.

"O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom. Defend us, your humble servants in all assaults of our enemies, that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Morning Meditation: Actors

Morning Meditation: Actors

During his ministry, Jesus calls people hypocrites.

Transcript: Welcome to the Light of Christ weekly podcast. Light of Christ Anglican Church is located in Georgetown, Texas, at MLK and University Avenue. We are a modern expression of the ancient faith. You can learn more about us at lightofchristgeorgetown.org.

Our morning meditation comes from the first part of Matthew 7:5, where Jesus says, "You hypocrite." Jesus often refers to people as hypocrites in his teachings. What does the word hypocrite mean? Hypocrite literally means actor. When we think of an actor, what are they good at doing? A good actor is excellent at playing different personas. In other words, he's good at putting on different masks. He's able to act like a sailor navigating the sea in one movie. In the next movie, he's a baseball player, or he's a a politician. An actor is able to be a person that he isn't. He's able to wear a mask, to wear a persona, literally in Latin, “mask.” Hypocrite in Greek means “actor,” so Jesus calls people actors. He calls us actors. What does he mean when he's saying that?

When we think of actors or hypocrites, often when I think of hypocrite, I think of people who are putting on a persona, who are acting for others. They want others to think about them in a certain way. They want to put on a certain front, a certain veneer, and in doing so, they want people to think more highly of them, more highly than is warranted. They want to hide those aspects of themselves that they deem to be less than or weak.

What's more serious than being a hypocrite to our neighbor, is being a hypocrite towards God! You see, we try to wear our mask before God. We try to be an actor in front of God. Now, it's really ironic because God knows all things. He can easily see behind any mask. Yet we do this. Why do we act as we come before God? We come before God, not willing to bare our true selves, not willing to tell God or to show God how broken we really are and how sinful we really are, how scared we really are, but we try to put on this religious persona.

Why do we do that? It's because we're hiding. We're afraid to feel the shame that comes with God's light shining on the dirt and muck in our heart. Think of Adam and Eve in the garden, hiding from God. Shame is one of the most powerful and painful of emotions. When we come into the light, when we confess our sin, when we confess the reality of how we feel and all of the ugliness that it contains, when we feel that shame, it feels like a death. In the light of God, we also experienced his love. We experience the truth of 1 Timothy 1:15, where Paul says, "This is a worthy saying, deserving of full acceptance, that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst." When we take off the mask, yes we experience the shame of our sins being revealed, but in that same moment, we experience the freedom from shame and guilt that God's love brings because love swallows guilt. The love that Jesus Christ shows us on the cross washes away all of our sin.

Let's not be hypocrites. Let's not be actors putting on a mask when we come to church, putting on a mask, when we come to God in prayer. Let's be our true selves and allow God to cleanse us and make us new.

Thank you for listening to the Light of Christ weekly podcast. Let us end our time together with a prayer from the book of Common Prayer. This prayer for preparation for personal prayer, can be found on page 675.

"Holy spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the father in eternal union. Amen."

Morning Meditation: A Confession Lifestyle

Morning Meditation: A Confession Lifestyle

What does the Christian life look like? What does it mean to confess my sins?

Transcript: Welcome to the Light of Christ Weekly Podcast. Light of Christ Anglican Church is located in Georgetown, Texas at MLK and University Avenue. We are a modern expression of the ancient faith. You can learn more about us at lightofchristgeorgetown.org

Our morning meditation for today comes from 1 John chapter one starting in verse six. “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

I find that there's often a misunderstanding about what it means to confess and receive forgiveness as a Christian. We have this conception that we come to the cross, we confess, we receive forgiveness, and then we leave the cross to do our life as best we can until we fall on our face again and then come back to the cross. But this is not what John is talking about and this is really not the Christian life. The Christian life is not confessing and then going and doing things in your own power again, and then confessing your sin, and going doing things in you own power again until you mess up and then coming back and confess your sin again.

Rather, the Christian life is a life that is built on top of the cross. It's a life that is built on confessing. It's a confessing life, a life that's lived confessing one's sin and receiving forgiveness and living in that forgiveness. So confession isn't so much an action. I mean, it is that. But it is a lifestyle, a way of living. For a Christian, confessing sin, receiving forgiveness, and living in the power of that forgiveness should be like breathing. And John makes that very clear.

So not to get too technical here, but in Greek, the language that John is using to write his epistle, the verb has something called aspect. Aspect is what type of action the verb describes. And so this word here, for confess, “if we confess our sin,” has a continuous aspect. And so it could be translated, “if we are confessing our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The point here is that confession of sin is the continuous activity of the Christian. We're constantly confessing our sin, receiving Christ's forgiveness so that we're not living in shame and guilt.

The problem occurs when we go away from the cross and try to do our own thing in our own power, then we fall on our face and feel like we have to come back again. But if we understand that our life is being built upon the cross and don't move away from it, then we can truly begin to live a life free from shame and guilt, constantly being renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit as we walk in the light as Christ is in the light.

Thank you for listening to the Light of Christ Weekly Podcast. Let us end our time together with a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer. You can find this prayer “In Times of Suffering or Weakness” on page 674.

Dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I hold up all my weakness to your strength, my failure to your faithfulness, my sinfulness to your perfection, my loneliness to your compassion, my little pains to your great agony on the cross. I pray that you will cleanse me, strengthen me, guide me, so that in all ways my life may be lived as you would have it lived without cowardice and for you alone. Show me how to live in true humility, true contrition, and true love. Amen.

An Incredible Investor

An Incredible Investor

Where do you put your treasure?

Welcome to the Light Of Christ weekly podcast. Light Of Christ Anglican Church is located in Georgetown, Texas, at MLK and University Avenue. We are a modern expression of the ancient faith. You can learn more about us at lightofchristgeorgetown.org

Our sermon soundbite today comes from Luke, chapter 12, verses 32 through 34. Jesus says to his disciples, "Fear not, little flock. For it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with money bags that do not grow old with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Where should I put my treasure? Where should you put your treasure? Well, I'd like to ask the question, where does God locate his treasure? Because imagine if I told you that there was an investor out there who did incredible on his investments. He had the inside scoop on literally everything. His investments always win in the long term. Never fail. What would you do if you found an investor like that in the stock market? You'd follow him, right? You'd become his disciple, wouldn't you? You would do everything he did.

So how does God invest? How does God invest? Notice what Jesus says in verse 32, "Fear not, little flock. For it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." You. Where does God locate his treasure? In you. In people. Who does he serve, as we serve our treasure? Matthew 20, Jesus tells us, "But I did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many.” Who's his treasure? Well, who does he keep safe? John 10 says, "I give eternal life and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand." And whom does he mourn the loss of? I think of Luke 19, just a few chapters from now. Jesus is going to go up to Jerusalem, and he's going to weep, because they're about to reject him. He mourns every time we turn and choose sin instead of turning to him. You are his treasure.

And so because God invests in people and God locates his treasure in people, we are commanded to do the same. Verse 33, "Sell your possessions and give to the needy." Invest in people. I think of what Saint Irenaeus says, "The glory of God is man fully alive."

Spiritual investment, heavenly investment, is investing in people, to have our treasure located in seeing others become fully alive.

Thank you for listening to the Light Of Christ weekly podcast. Let us end our time together with a prayer from the book of common prayer.

This post-communion prayer can be found on page 137. Notice how the treasure that God gives us changes where we locate our treasure.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of your son, our savior, Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the body of your son and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord, to him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit: The honor and glory now and forever. Amen.