In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Tradition………Tradition……..Tradition! Because of our traditions we have kept our balance for many years, Here in Anetevka/Burkburnett we have traditions for everything…..how to eat, how to sleep, even how to wear clothes. For instance, we always keep our heads covered and always wear a little prayer shawl…This shows our constant devotion to God. You may ask how did
All Saints Sunday
The Catholic tradition has a great appreciation of the epistemological nature of the human person. Church thinkers have put a lot of time into the theory of how it is we know. After all, as the old catechism tells us right up front “why did God make you?” “to know him and love him.” This is sort of a 2-way street, we comprehend what we are, and how it is
Have Mercy on Me a Sinner
Today in St. Paul’s 2nd letter to St. Timothy we are looking into the mind of an Apostle who knows the end is quite near for him. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Wow he could almost be reading from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, and in fact he likely knows it pretty well. Eudaimonia is the Greek philosophical term for the
If We are Faithless, He Remains Faithful
The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful–for he cannot deny himself. From the second letter to St. Timothy. Continuing in the second letter to St. Timothy, we read St. Paul exhorting St. Timothy to keep the
A Spirit of Power, Love, and Self-Discipline
“God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” from the second letter to St. 2 Timothy 1:1-14 This is probably the last letter written by St. Paul, during the time of his second imprisonment in Rome, perhaps from 66 to 68 AD. He knew that he would not escape punishment this time, and that he was nearing
Fight the Good Fight of the Faith
“Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” From the letter to St. Timothy, As we continue our look at the first letter of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we notice language that is rich with theology, and full of encouragement to the bishop as he ministers among
The Prayer of the Righteous
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone…” From the first letter to St. Timothy. This week we continue reading the first letter to St. Timothy, in the second chapter. This bit is a teaching from St. Paul on prayer. The tradition handed down to us by the Church of England is contained in the Book of Common Prayer. The first prayer
Christ Jesus Came Into the World to Save Sinners
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners– of whom I am the foremost.” from the letter to St. Timothy. The first and second letters to Timothy, along with the letter to Titus form what are called Paul’s Pastoral Epistles. Timothy is first mentioned in the 16th chapter of the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Paul and Barnabas had a falling out after a sharp disagreement over
Philemon and Onesimus
“When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus.” from the letter to Philmon. The letter to Philemon, from which we read today, is a very interesting letter, unlike any other of the letters of St. Paul. It starts off with a personal greeting; “To Philemon our dear friend and
Pride goes before Destruction
“Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” From the letter to the Hebrews. We have been reading a section of the Letter to the Hebrews, and for the last two weeks we have heard about fire as a purifying, refining force. “Our God