Bishop Paul's Page

A Traditional Anglican Ministry Using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer

Bishop Paul's Page

1 October 2009

The world's Muslim population stands at 1.57 billion, meaning that nearly one in four people practice Islam according to the US Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life which published the survey. This compares to 2.25 billion Christians.

The top five Muslim countries in the world include only one in the Middle East - Egypt - behind Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, in that order. Russia, the survey shows, has more Muslims than the populations of Libya and Jordan combined. Germany has more Muslims than Lebanon. China has a bigger Muslim population than Syria.

So what does this say about Christians?

Let's look at the great commission from Mathew 28:16-20. 16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

So have I missed something in the translation? We (Anglicans and Roman Catholics) have been preoccupied or perhaps distracted by our own internal struggles and conflicts while it seems that Islam has been working amongst our own flocks on their own version of our great commission.

It is time for us to refocus our efforts to complete the task at hand. Perhaps some may wish to abdicate personal responsibility in this matter. If so, I have some bad news: this is personal. In the Great Commission, Jesus calls upon each and every Christian to step out in faith and spread the Good News. I know that people who obey this command change their spiritual lives forever! It could be spreading the Good News to a neighbor, someone in the grocery store or as a missionary in another country to reach the people there. It could be sharing with less fortunate kids down the street or spreading the Word in a town two hours away. Wherever we go, every faithful Christian is compelled through obedience to share the Gospel. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, where has He called you to go? Who has God put on your heart to share the gift of salvation? What small or large steps can you take, with the knowledge that Christ will be by your side, "to make disciples of all the nations"?

While that may seem all well and good and may large churches may claim it is their core activity I believe that they are misled or even mistaken. Look at the budget. What would God have as the number one line item? Based upon the great commission, I believe we can argue that several key things are needed long before a stewardship campaign for building an even more magnificent edifice. What say you?

We have to change our ways and bring more people to Christ. There is no shortage of people seeking as the Islamic growth attests. We have to take the lead and push forward in the belief that what we do meets God's desire for us.

Blessings,
+Paul
Rector, Bishop Missioner and Vicar General

1 July 2009

This year, the first week of July and the last week of June have a special importance to any who profess the Anglican faith as the basis of their Christian beliefs. Specific events have taken place that have great significance to those who believe themselves to be traditional / orthodox Anglicans, regardless of which non-TEC / Church of England group they are affiliated with.

In Anaheim, the Episcopal Church (TEC) is meeting to perhaps endorse same sex unions as part of their accepted orders of service, not to mention actively pursuing the ordination and consecration of practicing homosexuals.

In England, the Rt. Rev. Nazir Ali (Bishop of Rochester) has upset the pro-homosexual lobby there by his recent comments about the need for homosexual (GLBT) parishioners to repent from their sinful lives and to return to the lifestyle that God wishes for us all. His contention, I believe, is that the Church welcomes homosexuals as it welcomes any who are living a life contrary to scripture. The church welcomes them to a place where they can find hope and support as they change their life to one that is congruent to God's wishes for each of us.

Amid this obviously sensitive subject are scriptural truths which some would seek to manipulate and perhaps even ignore while bowing to social pressure, as opposed to bowing before the altar of our Lord.

How can this be so? The answer is that passages of Scripture are deliberately taken out of context and perverted to support a human agenda. Yet, these same persons claim the same expectation of salvation by our Lord, despite their obviously contrary behaviors.

So as Anglicans where do we begin?

My first thought is to the Book of Common Prayer (BCP); the 39 Articles of Religion Article VI:

VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.
Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.

Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books.
Genesis, The First Book of Samuel, The Book of Esther,
Exodus, The Second Book of Samuel, The Book of Job,
Leviticus, The First Book of Kings, The Psalms,
Numbers, The Second Book of Kings, The Proverbs,
Deuteronomy, The First Book of Chronicles, Ecclesiastes or Preacher,
Joshua, The Second Book of Chronicles, Cantica, or Songs of Solomon,
Judges, The First Book of Esdras, Four Prophets the greater,
Ruth, The Second Book of Esdras, Twelve Prophets the less.

And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following:
The Third Book of Esdras, The rest of the Book of Esther,
The Fourth Book of Esdras, The Book of Wisdom,
The Book of Tobias, Jesus the Son of Sirach,
The Book of Judith, Baruch the Prophet,
The Song of the Three Children, The Prayer of Manasses,
The Story of Susanna, The First Book of Maccabees,
Of Bel and the Dragon, The Second Book of Maccabees.
All the Books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive, and account them Canonical.

So what about scripture?

"Scripture is the word of God contained in the Old and New testaments of the Bible. The 39 books of the Old Testament contain the story of God's love from Creation up to the birth of his son, Jesus Christ. They contain God's laws as He gave them to the Hebrew people. The New Testament contains Christ's teachings, the accounts of his life as told by his followers, and the beginning of his church. It is written in 27 books. Within an Episcopal worship service, Scripture is read in the lessons, the Gospel (the teachings of Jesus), the Psalms (poems from the Old Testament) and other prayers. Additionally, two- thirds of our guide to worship, the Book of Common Prayer, comes directly from the Old and New Testaments". (Source: website for The Episcopal Diocese of Texas).

I have a simple question...if we profess to be Christians, should we act in a manner contrary to the word of God? Of course not. Scripture was not written so that we could re-write it as we feel convenient. Consider a sport such as Football. Rules have been changed, but all the teams are aware of the changes and a panel has agreed to the said changes. God is the final arbiter of change with regard to scripture and, unless I missed it, he hasn't come out with a new play book for thousands of years. The rules are still the rules whether or not we agree or disagree with them during our short time on this earth.

So a refresher of scripture may be appropriate.

Leviticus 22:18
22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Romans 1:24-27
24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves.
25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones,
27 and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

1 Corinthians 6: 9-10
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

I could add 1 Timothy 1:8-10 and Jude 7, but I feel the point to be made should be self-evident. We profess to a belief in scripture as the inspired word of God and a belief that all that is necessary for our salvation is clearly outlined for us in scripture and the BCP. Failing to follow this is about as obviously wrong as in football having first and 7.5.

May God Bless you and please pray for all who are on either side of this disagreement that they may be granted by our Savior clarity of vision and a clear understanding of the word of God.

Blessings,
+Paul
Rector, Bishop Missioner and Vicar General

1 June 2009

A lot of recent focus in California has been upon how poor our economy really is and why the only means to solve our budgetary crisis is to increase taxes. There are a couple of things that as a businessman I was told never to mess with and I would thereby be assured of a happy workforce. They are: Paychecks and Vacation time. It seems that we have in our State those who perhaps missed that class!

Scripture is always a good guide for running any business and I have for many years drawn from the writings of the Benedictine Rule as a framework to work within. The Benedictine Monks have overcome many years of persecution and have survived and even flourished regardless of the economic or social circumstances. In short, they must be doing something right.

Let's take a look at Chapter IV which is designed to identify what we should do in our lives.

CHAPTER IV

The Instruments of Good Works

(1) In the first place to love the Lord God with the whole heart, the whole soul, the whole strength...
(2) Then, one's neighbor as one's self (cf Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27).
(3) Then, not to kill...
(4) Not to commit adultery...
(5) Not to steal...
(6) Not to covet (cf Rom 13:9).
(7) Not to bear false witness (cf Mt 19:18; Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20).
(8) To honor all men (cf 1 Pt 2:17).
(9) And what one would not have done to himself, not to do to another (cf Tob 4:16; Mt 7:12; Lk 6:31).
(10) To deny one's self in order to follow Christ (cf Mt 16:24; Lk 9:23).
(11) To chastise the body (cf 1 Cor 9:27).
(12) Not to seek after pleasures.
(13) To love fasting.
(14) To relieve the poor.
(15) To clothe the naked...
(16) To visit the sick (cf Mt 25:36).
(17) To bury the dead.
(18) To help in trouble.
(19) To console the sorrowing.
(20) To hold one's self aloof from worldly ways.
(21) To prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
(22) Not to give way to anger.
(23) Not to foster a desire for revenge.
(24) Not to entertain deceit in the heart.
(25) Not to make a false peace.
(26) Not to forsake charity.
(27) Not to swear, lest perchance one swear falsely.
(28) To speak the truth with heart and tongue.
(29) Not to return evil for evil (cf 1 Thes 5:15; 1 Pt 3:9).
(30) To do no injury, yea, even patiently to bear the injury done us.
(31) To love one's enemies (cf Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27).
(32) Not to curse them that curse us, but rather to bless them.
(33) To bear persecution for justice sake (cf Mt 5:10).
(34) Not to be proud...
(35) Not to be given to wine (cf Ti 1:7; 1 Tm 3:3).
(36) Not to be a great eater.
(37) Not to be drowsy.
(38) Not to be slothful (cf Rom 12:11).
(39) Not to be a murmurer.
(40) Not to be a detractor.
(41) To put one's trust in God.
(42) To refer what good one sees in himself, not to self, but to God.
(43) But as to any evil in himself, let him be convinced that it is his own and charge it to himself.
(44) To fear the day of judgment.
(45) To be in dread of hell.
(46) To desire eternal life with all spiritual longing.
(47) To keep death before one's eyes daily.
(48) To keep a constant watch over the actions of our life.
(49) To hold as certain that God sees us everywhere.
(50) To dash at once against Christ the evil thoughts which rise in one's heart.
(51) And to disclose them to our spiritual father.
(52) To guard one's tongue against bad and wicked speech.
(53) Not to love much speaking.
(54) Not to speak useless words and such as provoke laughter.
(55) Not to love much or boisterous laughter.
(56) To listen willingly to holy reading.
(57) To apply one's self often to prayer.
(58) To confess one's past sins to God daily in prayer with sighs and tears, and to amend them for the future.
(59) Not to fulfil the desires of the flesh (cf Gal 5:16).
(60) To hate one's own will.
(61) To obey the commands of the Abbot in all things, even though he himself (which Heaven forbid) act otherwise, mindful of that precept of the Lord: "What they say, do ye; what they do, do ye not" (Mt 23:3).
(62) Not to desire to be called holy before one is; but to be holy first, that one may be truly so called.
(63) To fulfil daily the commandments of God by works.
(64) To love chastity.
(65) To hate no one.
(66) Not to be jealous; not to entertain envy.
(67) Not to love strife.
(68) Not to love pride.
(69) To honor the aged.
(70) To love the younger.
(71) To pray for one's enemies in the love of Christ.
(72) To make peace with an adversary before the setting of the sun.
(73) And never to despair of God's mercy.

Behold, these are the instruments of the spiritual art, which, if they have been applied without ceasing day and night and approved on judgment day, will merit for us from the Lord that reward which He hath promised: "The eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). But the workshop in which we perform all these works with diligence is the enclosure of the monastery, and stability in the community.

My question is how many of the above can we honestly say that we work on each day?

Source of text: The Holy Rule of St. Benedict The 1949 Edition Translated by Rev. Boniface Verheyen, OSB of St. Benedict's Abbey, Atchison, Kansas

Blessings,
+Paul
Rector, Bishop Missioner and Vicar General

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Rev: 1 October 2009