AOC Two

Happy Twelfth Sunday after Trinity as the seeming endless Green Season marches on! The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded  RIGHT HERE  or by clicking on the picture above. There are great sermons today from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  They are considerably different, though, with the exception of Roy, they cover the same scripture.  I enjoyed each of them, though I found Jack's quite telling.  Perhaps that is because I got to hear it from him and read it, rather than just read it.  I urge you to take the time to read these exceptional pieces. There are a lot of people who desire your prayer, please start with Jim Flanagan, Shamu, Bob and Bill's family, work out from there.  I know there are a lot of people asking for help, please heed their pleas.   Please pray for those in our South whose lives have been impacted by the recent hurricane.  Please also take time to pray for our various countries as they face the Covid crisis, both the

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. The Collect. A LMIGHTY  and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord.  Amen. A ND  again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him,  Ephphatha , that is,  Be opened . 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. The Collect. A LMIGHTY  and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord.  Amen The Epistle for today came from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, the Third Chapter beginning at the Fourth Verse.  Paul reminds  us through the Grace of God we can be able ministers of the new testament, on our own we can be in the end no good.  If we are able to completely follow the Law, with good intent, we can through that please God, but inasmuch as that is impossible we fall short.  The letter of the Law, which cannot be complied with is death.  But following the spirit of the Law gives life.  That is Jesus’ message,

  B E  ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty .   (II Corinthians 6:14-18)             There is a glaring and profoundly crucial question facing the Church in America as well as the Church around the world; the social contract in the western nations as well as those around the globe. That question is one of simple meaning but com

A ND  Jesus entered and passed through Jericho . (Luke 19:1) N EITHER  be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ . 11  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted .  (Matthew 23:10-11)             Even the Christian believer is sometimes surprised at the manner in which the Lord brings His will to pass. But the results of His will being done is always far better than any plan we could have imagined. Since His ways are not our ways, all our logic and reason are tainted by a failure to understand the deeper aspects of life. But He sees and knows all things.             We cannot judge a book by its cover. It is likely that Napoleon Bonaparte (5’6) was often referred to as ‘shorty’ in his growing up days, but certainly not during the time he rode ahead of the mightiest massed land force in Europe. It is not physical stature, b

  W ATCH  therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.  44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.  45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?  46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing .  (Matthew 24:42-46) H ERE  is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them .  (Revelations 14:12-13)             I have heard many well-meaning Christian refer

I  CRIED  unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.  18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:  19  But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.  20  Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me .  (Psalm 66:17-20) T HEN  shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart .  (Jeremiah 29:12-13)  N OW  we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth .  (John 9:31)             The tender beauty of this hymn reflects the mother’s heart who composed it for her children. Mrs. Mary Lundie Duncan of Scotland composed this child’s hymn in December 1839 shortly before taking ill with a chill at the end of December and passing on to her Lord on 5 January 1840. She wrote more