Oh the sermons!

I attended the city’s flagship Anglican Church for morning worship. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant (aside, perhaps, from the incredibly uncomfortable pew). The service was solidly liturgical, which I like. The hymns were well performed by a talented choir and the sanctuary is very beautiful.

But.

And, this is what frustrates me about Anglicanism. The liturgy is incredibly Biblical; richly theological and thought provoking.

The service started with this exhortation from the minister: “Dearly beloved, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor clock them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with a humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by His infinite goodness and mercy…Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice unto the throne of the heavenly grace.”

But the sermon! Oh the sermon, or homily, as it was called.

Disastrous. What was said was not necessarily wrong – at least for the most part. But the message was so atheological; so human-centered; so shallow. She (and my heart sank when I found this out!) wandered, but the gist of the message was that faith is a journey and that we will have eternity to figure God out. That while the gospel of Luke may tell us that we must love God before we love family and possessions, this is difficult for us, and so we probably aren’t “there” yet. And that is a good thing, because it wouldn’t be a good thing for us to fully know God’s mind.

Oye.

Shrouded amongst the weeds of nothingness were golden nuggets of truth. But one shouldn’t feel like the ducks I watched before the service, plucking through leaves and twigs looking (often vainly) for nourishment. No. Rather, a sermon is the means by which God’s truth is expounded, whereby His people are fed and edified and He is glorified. I left the service malnourished.

For evening worship I went to a large PAOC church. The music, which included several classic hymns and several exhaustingly repetitive choruses, was emotional, but not overwhelmingly so. (The tissue boxes distributed around the sanctuary made me wonder whether the music was unusually sedate). I was welcomed warmly, the chair was comfy and the lobby offered a stunning view of the countryside. Communion was dignified (interestingly, they use communion wafers, not bread – and the elements are taken at the same time).

But the sermon. Oh the sermon!

It was short and only referenced Scripture. In fact, absolutely no Bible verses were quoted at all in the entire service! The message was that Jesus revealed many things to His disciples over a meal and that communion provides an opportunity for a fresh revelation of God.

Oye.

May God see fit to convict the leaders of these churches to compel them to dig deeper into His word, and expound on His truth, so that His people will be nourished.

Suffocating Heat

The first week has gone relatively well, with the exception of the heat. My building is not air-conditioned, and I’ve truly come to appreciate what ‘suffocating heat’ is like. My room is incredibly stuffy and uncomfortable, which makes sleeping difficult. I read this summer about a heat wave in Detroit in the 1950s so warm that residents took to sleeping in parks. I thought that was an extreme measure – but now I understand why they did!

It is well

A classic Christian hymn:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!

Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

Canada @ Epcot

A memory I have of visiting Epcot Centre was the movie in the Canada pavilion. I distinctly recall the swelling pride of my country as I watched the film. This morning I watched the new and updated film, which debuted September 1. Hosted by Martin Short, the film was…typically Canadian.

Ironically, for a film that opened by playing on a myth (snow and cold all year round), nearly every stereotype of Canada was part of the film.

Everything that one would expect to see (Niagara Falls, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec City, the Bay of Fundy, wildlife, mountains, prairies, Mounties) was in the film.

Winter sports “skating our favourite form of transportation in the winter” and hockey “becoming a professional hockey player is the dream of every Canadian” (?) were highlighted, as well as Canadian culture and diversity (First Nations, new immigrants).

There was, not surprisingly, a soaring bilingual ballad reminiscent of the nationalistic films I remember watching growing up. Sure, it’s sappy (some may say propagandistic), but it’s a wonderful reminder how blessed I am to live in Canada. Praise God for the beauty of His creation! “May He have dominion from sea to sea” (Psalm 72:8).

Resolved Sept. 5

Resolved: To reach out in love through Christ, to be light and salt, to shine vibrantly with the serious, but joyful assurance of the hope of heaven guided by the indwelt Holy Spirit, buttressed by the promised hope in His Word and the knowledge of His promises kept close to the heart, gripped by His mercy and humbled by His grace that He should save a sinner as myself. To walk across the room.

Psalm 39:4,5

O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!

Psalm 39: 4,5 (ESV)

Relevant Information?

CBS posted an interesting story about binge eating. I'd never heard of such of thing before. Ron Saxen, who wrote a book about his past experiences, said he is a recovering binge eater. Once a model, he ate himself out of his career.

Most interesting for me though, was this paragraph:

"Saxen's first bout with binge eating happened when he was 11. His parents were members of a fundamentalist Christian denomination. His father — who would return home from work late at night — frequently beat him and his two brothers."

Does the fact that his parents were 'members of a fundamentalist Christian denomination' really add anything to the story? The author apparently assumes there to be a correlation between child abuse and fundamentalist Christianity.

Other news articles posted on Mr. Saxen's website don't mention his religious upbringing. I wonder how really relevant the information is.

Peter Hadzipetros, "Binge eating disorder" 30 Aug. 2007. Accessed 1 Sept. 2007. Available: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/health/binge-eating.html

http://www.ronsaxen.com/inthenews.htm