Light of Christ Podcast is the official podcast of Light of Christ Anglican Church in Georgetown, TX.

Admin 5/20/20 Admin 5/20/20

Healing in COVID Grief

Grief is that feeling that you have, that emotional state that we experience when we lose someone or something important to us.

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.

In this sermon soundbite, we talk about the difficult process of healing through grief. Paul writes in Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

Let's talk a little bit about grief. Grief is that feeling that you have, that emotional state deep inside of us that we experience when we lose someone or something important to us. This pain that we feel inside of ourselves called grief is as real a thing as the pain that happens to you if you were to chop off the tip of your index finger. In fact, grief and shame are the two most painful of human emotions, and humans will do almost anything to not feel grief and to not feel shame.

Now, as I have been working through the process of all of this in my own heart, I've noticed something, and perhaps it's in your heart as well? I've noticed that these feelings of grief I'm having difficulty recognizing, but instead what I'm seeing come up in my heart is anger. Anger. So I ask you, are you angry?

Anger is one of the emotions we would rather go to than deal with our grief. And I'd like to pose the question, perhaps your anger, like mine, may be actually grief that has not been dealt with. We're all grieving. We've all lost a tremendous amount. Certainly I'm not comparing my loss to the loss of someone who's lost their job and their livelihood or someone who's lost someone to COVID. But certainly we've all experienced incredible loss during this time.

One thing I learned as a hospice chaplain in dealing and working and loving people through their grief is that there's only one way to heal, and that is to let yourself feel. There is really only one way to heal and that's to let yourself feel. Grief, it's kind of like waves at a beach. I remember growing up, we went to the East coast and they have really good waves there. And as a kid, if you saw a wave coming, I first would try to run from that wave. And what happens when you run from a wave? Man, it just wallops you and you come up with a face full of sand and salt coming out your nose, especially when you're a little kid like I was. I quickly learned that the best way to deal with a wave that was coming towards me was to dive into it, dive right into it.

And so it is with grief. Unpredictable, like the waves as they're coming, we see them and we're tempted because of the pain of grief to run away, to shut down the tears, to push it inside, to clamp it in. But this is not the way to heal. No, the way to heal in grief is to embrace it, to dive in.

The Bible calls this lamentation, to lament, and the Bible is full of lamentation. Psalms 77, I'd like to read that to you. Did you know that one third of the Psalms are lamentation. In other words, one third of the Psalms are a Psalmist voicing their grief to God in prayer. And I encourage you, whether it's Psalm 77 or some other Psalm to join in lament at this time.

Listen to the Psalmist. He says,

1    I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 When I remember God, I moan;
when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah
4    You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old,
the years long ago.
6 I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;
let me meditate in my heart.”
Then my spirit made a diligent search:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever,
and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10    Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11    I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16    When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies gave forth thunder;
your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron. (ESV)

The Psalmist cries out bearing his soul to the Lord, his true self, his grief, his pain. And so I encourage you. I encourage you to cry, to grieve, to lament, to write down the pain of your heart, if it's helpful, in a form of a prayer to God. To sing, to read, to pray a Psalm of lament before the Lord. And for those who were in that class earlier, using the Jesus Prayer as well in and a prayer Chaplet can be helpful. Grief, bring your lament with me before the Lord.

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 is found on page 254.

"Grant to all who mourn, a sure confidence in your Fatherly care, that casting their grief on you they may know the consolation of your love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.”

Admin 5/13/20 Admin 5/13/20

Motherhood as Temple

Who was the first temple of Christ?

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.

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and I am thankful for mothers. On today's podcast, we have the sermon from Evening Prayer on what motherhood teaches us about being temples of God.

Temples, that's the theme of the Gospel that we read this morning and is the theme that we see here in First Peter chapter two. Peter the apostle tells us that we are living stones being built together to be a house for God. We know from what Paul says that this does not only include us corporately but this idea of temple includes us personally. Our bodies are temples of the image of God. Our bodies are temples of Christ. This is an appropriate topic for Mother's Day. Who was the first temple of Christ? Was it not the blessed Virgin Mary, a young lady who in that moment when the angel came to her with the message of the Lord, of God's love for her, "Blessed are you among women." She said yes to God's love.

And in her, Christ was conceived. Christ dwelt in her. She was the first temple. She was the first Christian. You see, women can do something men cannot. And it's a beautiful, beautiful mystery that they join in the very act of creation, the act of creating, not just anything, but creating a person within them. Think about that. An image of God, a little tiny itsy bitsy, little image of God inside of the woman is created and she co-works with God in this creation of an image of God within her. And in this, in her body, she is a temple of the image of God, bringing a life into the world and each and every one of us. (Whether our biological mothers were involved in our life or not is one question) but we all do owe our life to a mom. We owe our lives to this incredible mystery of the female body.

Now, not all women have physical children, but all women are called to be mothers. Let me explain. Some women are called to celibacy as their vocation, called to live out their life single for the purposes of God. Mother Theresa is an example of this. Some women are past the age of childbearing. Others never find a husband and others have the great struggle and heavy burden of infertility. Yet motherhood is a much larger thing than just having physical kids. Mother Theresa reminds us that spiritual motherhood is no less real and no less powerful than physical motherhood. All women are called to this beauty that we see in Mary, called to be a temple. And I encourage you mothers out there, spiritual mothers and physical mothers, women who are growing into their spiritual or physical motherhood, to embrace this, that your body is a temple of Christ, a sacred space, and God has called you and invites you to say yes to his love, to let Christ reside in you so that you can bring life to those around you, to your world. Let us thank God for our physical and spiritual mothers.

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.

"Oh God, you have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate son. Grant that we who have been redeemed by his blood may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom. Through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. One God now and forever. Amen."

Admin 4/29/20 Admin 4/29/20

Grace in Sadness

Grace is about God's love always initiating, always moving forward first.

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 for today comes from Luke chapter 24 where we get a vignette of the resurrected Christ. We meet Cleopas and his friend, disciples of Jesus who are walking on the road to Emmaus, and they are sad because of what they've seen about Christ dying and what they've heard about this empty tomb and the inability to find the body of Jesus. Suddenly, this mysterious character joins them. They don't recognize him, but he is the risen Christ.

Notice that Jesus engages them in their journey. He enters into their conversation, their sadness. So, they aren't looking for Jesus, Jesus is looking for them, and this is what grace is. This is the good news, not that we love, but that God first loved us. John tells us in his first epistle, it's God. Grace is about God's love always initiating, always moving forward first. We don't. We are blind. We run away from God, but he seeks us out.

And notice how Jesus engages them in the conversation and invites a response through a series of questions, which are really funny because it's Jesus there that they don't recognize and he knows, right? Jesus knows what's happening. Who would know more about the resurrection than Jesus? No one, but yet he asked them verse 17, “What's this conversation that you're holding with each other as you walk?” And then they say, “Well, what haven't you heard what's happened? Have you been living under a rock stranger?” And then he says, “What thing?”

What does this response remind you of? I think Luke wants us to remember something in our past. Think for a moment through Genesis one, two and three, what happens when Adam and Eve's eyes are open to sin, when their eyes are closed to the loving presence of God, what do they do? They run and they hide from God. And what does God do? He seeks after them. And what does he ask? Where are you Adam? Where are you Eve? Who told you that you were naked? God was asking these questions not because he didn't know, but because he was seeking them out, inviting them, calling them to a response out of their fear, shame, sadness, and in to the recognition of his loving presence for them.

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 prayer for the third Sunday of Easter on page 612.

Almighty God, you gave your only Son to be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living: Give us grace thankfully to receive his inestimable benefits, and daily to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Admin 4/20/20 Admin 4/20/20

Peace Be With You

“Let him show you his wounds and remind you that he died for you and was resurrected.”

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.

Hello everyone. The Lord is risen! Our sermon soundbite today comes from John chapter 20, "Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your fingers here and see my hands, and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Last Sunday we had the privilege of Jamie Tanner, the founder and president of Simple Sparrow, a care farm ministry. Come and deliver us the message of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. God is using her powerfully to bring healing to those who have significant trauma. You can find out more at simplesparrow.farm.

Jamie Tanner:

Indeed, the entirety of scripture is story after story of the juxtapositions of trusting and following God versus trusting and following not God. Following not God lends itself to darkness, to death, to fear, to unbelief. Whereas following God leads to light, life, peace, belief. We cannot serve God and not Gods at the same time. Just like fear cannot dwell where there is peace. In this moment, do you have peace? Who or what are you following? What are you believing?

As we move forward as a church into the unknown, while it is still dark, we must lean into our good shepherd. He may not give us the eyes to see the distance or the severity of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, but we choose to trust that he is with us. We choose to follow where he leads our next step. We choose to lean into him instead of ourselves. His leading is into peace. Peace, despite our circumstances. That doesn't mean we instantly transform, but rather he is transforming us more and more into the image of the sun.

We are a work in progress. We will still feel fearful, anxious, depressed, and panicked these days and beyond these days, and it's in these moments that we can learn to pause and take every thought captive. We can measure it against who Christ is and what he said. We ask the Holy Spirit for help and guidance. Is our thought peace? Is our thought belief? If it's not, I would encourage you to let Jesus work on you. Let him show you his wounds and remind you that he died for you and was resurrected because he indeed is the Christ, our good shepherd, a light of the world, prince of peace. Peace be with you.

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 for a person in trouble or bereavement, on page 663.

O merciful Father, you have taught us in your holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men: Look with pity on the sorrows of your servant. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy; nourish their soul with patience; comfort them with a sense of your goodness; lift up your countenance upon them; and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Admin 3/30/20 Admin 3/30/20

God Makes Alive

We are spiritually dead apart from God, but God makes alive.

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 Romans Chapter 6, Verse 17. "But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.”

Notice our collect, the prayer that we prayed together at the beginning after the collect for purity, the collect of the day, we prayed, "Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners."

That's our dead hearts, right? Dead to God, but very much alive the sin. "Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise." Now notice this next part, "That among this swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely be fixed where true joys are to be found." I think that statement very much applies and describes very well our pattern of life in the last two or three weeks, hasn't it? Swift and varied change?

Yeah, I'd say so. As I look around this mostly empty place, as I look towards this camera to speak to you, "Swift and very changes of the world."

What does this breath of God give us during this time? It gives us a new heart so that in this moment of chaos and change, we know what we're here for. We know that we are forgiven. We know that we are loved of God, and we know that we are here to seek the good of the other for their own sake. The world may be wondering, "What do we do during this time?" But we're not because the crucified Word of God has given us His Spirit, a new heart, and we have direction. We have joy. Yes. Even in the weeping of this time.

"Through Jesus Christ, our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen."

We're spiritually dead apart from God, but God makes 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. You can find the collect for the fifth Sunday of Lent on page 606.

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.