“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” From The Revelation to St. John the
On these two commandments…
Matthew 22:34-46, Jesus said, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Love is at the same time the most discussed topic in history, and the most misunderstood topic in history. Some of you may remember the movie, “Love Story” starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal. It’s a tale of love between two young people who fall in love, get married, and then have to face the
Tithing and generosity
Matthew 22:15-22 Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” In our Gospel reading today, there was some controversy over some of the teaching of Jesus. The Pharisees were trying to trap him saying something that would get him in hot water. His answer is simple; “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the
For Many are Called, but Few are Chosen
For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:1-14 This is a ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ parable, which is the sort that Jesus told when he wanted to make a very important point about life and death. If you have an interest in the afterlife, it’s important to take note. Jesus told many parables that involved the marriage customs of his day. This was something that was familiar to his
The Last shall be First, and First shall be Last
Matthew 21:28-32 Last Sunday we heard a parable from our Lord about the landowner and his workers. Remember the last line? “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Today we heard a parable about a man who had two sons. Which son did the will of his father? Those who were listening to him said, “The first.” Then Jesus lets them have it! He says,
The Kingdom of Heaven is like…
Today we heard a parable about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus was fond of using parables to communicate with his disciples. Some listened and understood what he was getting at, but most of his hearers must have thought he was a little kooky. This is one of those that made no sense to those with a mind for business. The land owner was hiring laborers all day long to work
No Forgiveness, No Peace
These readings about forgiveness resonated with me today. So many stories I read have something to do with anger and the lack forgiveness. Why is it so hard to forgive? I understand that there are some resentments that have piled up over generations of people. People with power have abused the powerless. This is nothing new of course. Since Cain killed Abel there have been those who have abused others
Never Flag in Zeal, be Aglow with the Spirit, Serve the Lord
We are living in a time of great conflict, which of course is no news to you, but it affects all of us. I don’t know about you, but I hate conflict. I go out of my way to avoid it. I know that is not always a good thing. Sometimes you have to confront things head on for the good of all concerned. The scripture readings today give us
Requiem Mass – Nolan Bell
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of a long time member of St. John the Divine Anglican Church, Nolan Bell. A Requiem Mass will be held on September 11 @ 1PM at St. John the Divine Anglican Church. The family will be accepting visitors Thursday evening at 6PM – 8PM at Owens & Brumley, Burkburnett, Texas. The family asks in lieu of flowers you make a
For the Son of Man is to Come with his Angels
“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.” If you will recall from last week, Bishop Reed talked about St. Peter, or Rocky, as my NT professor liked to call him. Some like to put him on a pedestal, but it is obvious from our studies of the Bible that