AOC Two

   A  CERTAIN  man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time .  (Luke 20:9)   Our Lord often spoke in parables that were simple and common examples of life which also reflected great spiritual truth. The depth of meaning of these parables escaped the understanding of those whose learning and sophistication caused them to consider themselves better than all others. But the simple folk of the land were able to receive the unblemished truth behind the broader shadows of spiritual meaning. Such is the Parable of the Owner of the Vineyard referenced today by our Lord in the Temple at Jerusalem.   Let us understand that this certain man, at the outset, represents God the Father. The world is His and all that is in it. But He has set aside a certain portion of that world for His called-out elect to His Vineyard which He has planted as an example of His Church. Though He walked with Adam in the Garden, He withdrew to a far country after Ada

  U NTO  Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them .   (Genesis 3:21)               In his introduction to my devotion yesterday, Rev Hap Arnold alluded in reference to the skins covering Adam and Eve after their Fall in Eden, as to the import thereof. He did so to evoke a deeper thought in the meaning it clearly represents symbolically. In the above text, God has just provided a first glimpse of his plan of salvation to Eve:   And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel .  (Genesis 3:15)  The Seed to which God makes reference is His only Begotten Son thousands of years hence. So the covering of the nakedness of Adam and Eve was supplied by the first death on earth – that of an innocent animal (whom God loved) such as a lamb.               The animal whose life God required as a sacrifice to cover the nakedness (sin) of Adam and Eve was a foreshadow

A ND  the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where   art   thou?   10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I   was   naked; and I hid myself.   (Genesis 3:9-10)                 The Fall of Man in Adam is one of the greatest apparent tragedies of Holy Scripture; however, God was neither surprised nor dismayed at Adam’s knowing disobedience to His single Commandment concerning partaking of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In is providential foreknowledge, God knew the two progenitors of our race could not overcome the temptation of the Serpent.                The moment Eve partook, and gave Adam, both died immediately in the spiritual sense, and gradually in the physical. They had no prior knowledge of sin, but now the great burden of guilt overwhelmed them. They discovered that they were naked and were very afraid.                The couple at first attempted to hide their nakedness from God by sewing fig leaves tog

     I N   that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes,  Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.  56   But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled . Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.  (Matthew 26:55-56)   This is an ancient hymn composed by Peter Abelard (1079-1142) especially for the seasons of Passion, or Palm, Sunday. It is intended as an evening hymn most suited for Evening Service on Good Friday. The tune for the hymn in the 1940 Hymnal (#68) is   Bangor   by William Tan’sur.   Alone Thou Goest Forth, O Lord   Alone thou goest forth, O Lord, in sacrifice to die; is this thy sorrow naught to us who pass unheeding by?   Our sins, not thine, thou bearest, Lord; make us thy sorrow feel, till through our pity and our shame love answers love’s appeal.   This is earth’s darkest hour, but thou dost light and life restore; then let all prai

   Happy Fifth Sunday in Lent, commonly called Passion Sunday!  Want to find out why and what that means?  Download the AOC Sunday Report  RIGHT HERE  and the first part will tell you! We have excellent sermon today from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Rev Jack. Each is very very good and each is just quite a bit different. I am confident you will enjoy them.   Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon can be viewed on video  HERE  ->   https://youtu.be/eyRSxeR-yhc Today’s Collect  acknowledges to God we acknowledge without God’s great goodness and divine intervention, we cannot be preserved in either body or soul.   In the Epistle, Paul discusses the failure of the sacrifices of the old covenant and the difference with the new.  The Gospel is another example of the Jews (in this case Pharisees) being very conversant in The Law with absolutely no grasp of its meaning.  In the Gospel, Jesus explained to the Pharisees before Abraham had even been conceived, He was. I

Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on video  RIGHT HERE  ->   https://youtu.be/eyRSxeR-yhc. Today’s Collect  acknowledges to God we acknowledge without God’s great goodness and divine intervention, we cannot be preserved in either body or soul.   In the Epistle, Paul discusses the failure of the sacrifices of the old covenant and the difference with the new.  The Gospel is another example of the Jews (in this case Pharisees) being very conversant in The Law with absolutely no grasp of its meaning.  In the Gospel, Jesus explained to the Pharisees before Abraham had even been conceived, He was. In fact, Jesus was the one who created this Earth, so He has been around since before the beginning of the planet. The Pharisees could or would not grasp in their heads Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God. They chose to try to destroy His ministry rather than follow Him. He was interfering with their comfortable way of liv

    The Fifth Sunday in Lent, commonly called Passion Sunday. The Collect.   W E  beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord .  Amen.   And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:   The first day of Lent, commonly called Ash Wednesday. The Collect.   A LMIGHTY  and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   ¶  This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.   The Gospel John 8:46-59   W HICH   of you convince