AOC Two

    B EOFRE  the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.        (Psalm 90:2)   T HOU , O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.  20   Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?  21   Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.      (Lamentations 5:19-21)               This thoroughly reverent and biblical hymn is the work of the great hymn writer of England, Isaac Watts. It was published in William Gadsby’s hymnal of 1814. Hymn tune is  DUNDEE . The title seems over-simplified as the very concept of God dictates an Eternal Existence, but we may at times forget the infinite measure of God’s Being. He has neither mother nor father despite the heretical ruling of the Council of Ephesus. Mary, revered mother of Jesus, was just as human as you and me, and did not exist in eternity past to lay claim to ‘Mothe

   Happy Septuagesima Sunday!  Wonder what that means?  Check out the end of the AOC Sunday Report and find out.  Speaking of the AOC Sunday Report, it can be downloaded  RIGHT HERE ! We have excellent sermons today from Bishops Jerry, Roy, Jack and Dennis, as well as a lovely sermon from Rev Bryan. Each one of them is very good and quite different. I am confident that you will enjoy them.  Bishop Jack brings the propers together.  His sermon can be viewed on video  HERE  ->  https://youtu.be/Xp5_NrDuJ5s .  Bishop Jack’s sermon looks at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share the common message of action as we celebrate the revealing of our Lord to the world. In the Collect, we ask God who knows we should be “…justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour …”  To get into heaven we need to be accounted as perfect.  The answer is in the sermon.  What

Bishop Jack brings the propers together.  His sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on video   HERE  ->   https://youtu.be/Xp5_NrDuJ5s   Bishop Jack ’s sermon looks at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share the common message of action as we celebrate the revealing of our Lord to the world.  In the Collect, we ask God who knows we should be “…justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour …”  To get into heaven we need to be accounted as perfect.  The answer is in the sermon.  What Paul speaks of in his Epistle is the great reward we receive for holding steady to that course which God has set for us.  The Gospel for today, the very important parable of the vineyard, also gives us very good advice on the conduct of our daily lives and contains a crucial key to happiness.  Tbere is also a lesson for interacting with others as the join the Army

The Sunday called Septuagesima, or the third Sunday before Lent.   The Collect.   O  LORD , we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.   T HE  kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto t

  The Sunday called Septuagesima, or the third Sunday before Lent.   The Collect.   O  LORD , we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.               We now enter upon a transition period of Pre-Lent separating the joyous season of Christmas/Epiphany and the penitential fast associated with the Lenten Season.  Septuagesima is exactly sixty-three days before Easter. Sexagesima is fifty-six prior, and Quinquagesima forty-nine. We owe the designation of the three primary Sundays before Lent to Saint Gregory the Great, and to his rendering the first lectionary readings for the church calendar. Though he was called Pope, he was rather the Bishop of Rome who was a devout minister and a leader of his people. He opposed the Lom

A ND  be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;  19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;  20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.   (Ephesians 5:18-19)   Many are missing a great blessing for not having the beauty of songs in their hearts. God gives a song in the darkest night as well as in the bright sun of day as a means of comfort and restored joy.   5  I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.  6  I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.   (Psalm 77:5-6)   The great classical hymns serve to reinforce our understanding of biblical doctrine. But it is important also to know the men and women behind the composition of those hymns for we often find great beauty, sometimes tragedy and greater truth revealed therein.   There