Varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 

I Cor. 12: 4-7

Varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 

I Cor. 12: 4-7

"Workflow" for IOS Olive Tree Bible Study App ~ Recommended by Dr. Stephen Cook

I was searching around on Biblische Ausbildung, Dr. Stephen Cook's blog and found this cool post.  If you're into learning the Bible and also am slightly (or more) tech-geeky (which I am), you may want to check out this resource!

~Peter+

New “Workflow” for iOS Olive Tree Bible Study App

I know this a Bible-Geeky thing to have done, but I’ve been fooling around with using the WORKFLOW iPhone app to create a verse-chooser today-widget and homescreen icon for iPhone and iPad. Try it out and let me know what you think. You can enter the full name of the Bible Book, or you can use any of Olive Tree’s Bible Book abbreviations. Essentially, the "workflow" opens the BibleStudy app to any specific text reference.  To enjoy, click here.

http://biblische.blogspot.com/

Church rebirth through reading the scriptures

A clergy colleague of mine, the Reverend Scott Gunn blogs passionately about how a church he served found new life by reading the Bible!  Great read!


From "Seven Whole Days" Blog


Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)


God takes scripture seriously. After giving the heart of the Law (“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”), God tells the people of Israel to keep the words in their hearts. But that’s not all. God wants the people of Israel not just to know the scriptures, but to teach them to their children. If we understand ourselves as the heirs of Israel, then we too should place ourselves in this story. We are meant to know the scriptures and to talk about them at home and to teach them to our children. We might not literally fix the scriptures on our foreheads, and most of us don’t have gates. But there is no mistaking the intent of the command: we are meant to display and honor the scriptures publicly.

Read Scott's whole post HERE

Do not fret

Psalm 37 or
Coverdale
Part I Noli aemulari

¹Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *
do not be jealous of those who do wrong.

²For they shall soon wither like the grass, *
and like the green grass fade away.

³Put your trust in the LORD and do good; *
dwell in the land and feed on its riches.

⁴Take delight in the LORD, *
and he shall give you your heart's desire.

⁵Commit your way to the LORD and put your trust in him, *
and he will bring it to pass.

⁶He will make your righteousness as clear as the light *
and your just dealing as the noonday.

⁷Be still before the LORD *
and wait patiently for him.

⁸Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *
the one who succeeds in evil schemes.

⁹Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *
do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.

¹⁰For evildoers shall be cut off, *
but those who wait upon the LORD shall possess the land.

¹¹In a little while the wicked shall be no more; *
you shall search out their place, but they will not be there.

¹²But the lowly shall possess the land; *
they will delight in abundance of peace.

¹³The wicked plot against the righteous *
and gnash at them with their teeth.

¹⁴The Lord laughs at the wicked, *
because he sees that their day will come.

¹⁵The wicked draw their sword and bend their bow
to strike down the poor and needy, *
to slaughter those who are upright in their ways.

¹⁶Their sword shall go through their own heart, *
and their bow shall be broken.

¹⁷The little that the righteous has *
is better than great riches of the wicked.

¹⁸For the power of the wicked shall be broken, *
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

Surely it is God who saves me...

Helpful to remember that our salvation, healing, wholeness, happiness, essence, is not dependent upon ourselves, but upon the lovingkindness of God!

Canticle 9 The First Song of Isaiah 
Isaiah 12:2-6 Ecce, Deus 

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;

Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.

Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Glorify the Lord!

Canticle 12 A Song of Creation Song of the Three Young Men, 35-65
Benedicite, omnia opera Domini

Invocation

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

I The Cosmic Order

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord,*
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.

Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew,*
all winds and fire and heat.

Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold,*
drops of dew and flakes of snow.

Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O nights and days,*
O shining light and enfolding dark.

Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

II The Earth and its Creatures

Let the earth glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
and all that grows upon the earth,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,*
O whales and all that move in the waters.

All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,*
and all you flocks and herds.

O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

III The People of God

Let the people of God glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Doxology

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

From Romans 13: Love one another

Romans 13:8-13

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light

He delights in us, Psalm 18:20

Psalm 18:20

20 He brought me out into an open place; *

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Here's the thing, we spend so much of our time believing and living as if we need to earn God's love, we spend so much time and energy wondering if we are, truly beloved. All too often we live shallow lives, we live half-way, getting only our feet wet in the great ocean of life. Here's the thing, God delights in us! God delights in you! God delights in me! God experiences joy because of us. God experiences joy because of you. God experiences joy because of me.

We have spent a great deal of time in the thickets of life, climbing the dark trails of the incline, but God has brought us each into an open place, a place of salvation, a place of joy, a place of bliss. God has brought us each to an open place of salvation, not salvation as a thing that happens after we die but salvation as the quality of life that is given to us through God's grace and love. God delights in us, and we no longer need to live as if we were only half-way there. God has brought us to an open place, God has rescued us because he delights in us!

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Wait for each other, 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

1 Corinthians 11:23-34 (NRSV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.

33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If you are hungry, eat at home, so that when you come together, it will not be for your condemnation.

Paul was writing to the Christians in Corinth who had developed a rather nasty habit of worshiping separately from one another and some were shut out of the Eucharistic Feast and had to worship later. This may sound trivial to us today, we who worship at churches that might have various services of various styles and liturgical forms. However, Paul was deadly serious about the fact that the people of Corinth should "wait for each other" and not make worship a factional, separatist kind of experience. Paul knew that the way that we worship and pray affects the way that we believe. Leonel Mitchell coined the phrase (in English) "Praying Shapes Believing" when he wrote his book on the liturgy with the same name. In Latin, the phrase is "Lex Orandi, lex credendi" - which can be translated, the law of prayer affects the law of belief.

The way that we gather the way that we worship the way that we offer reverence the way that we organize ourselves does have an effect upon the way that we believe. Our actions do help to create our lived theology. Worship is not really meant to be something that is a la carte, it is not really meant to be something that we choose what feels "best" or most "comfortable"...worship done well may challenge us beyond our comfort zones, and may move us to see that God is bigger than our imagination (and our liturgical tastes). "Wait for one another" is a challenging and helpful prayer to keep on my lips as we consider how we will be in relationship with people from other denominations and from other liturgical sensibilities.

If our praying does shape our believing, it matters that we do wait for one another and work to build up the Body of Christ rather than separate and fragment it. These are challenging and helpful word for us.

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Who is doing Scriptural/Theological/Ethical reflection on the Health Care Crisis?

I wonder who is doing Scriptural/Theological/Ethical reflection on the health care conundrum in which we find ourselves...I wonder about deeper thought than "who wouldn't Jesus heal" (actually, Jesus did NOT heal everyone in the greater Nazareth region) or "who doesn't Buddha have compassion for?"

...what are the sources, what are the essays, what are the sermons, and (God forgive me), what are the blogs?

I'm looking for something beyond the tired old arguments of the liberal - conservative (false!) dichotomy...

Any takers?

He put a new song in my mouth - Psalm 40

"he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure"

Thoughts on the Psalm from this morning's Morning Prayer, Psalm 40...


While we are deep in the midst of the season of Pentecost, Ordinary Time, we are also always in a season of expectation, a season of Advent, a season of expectation. We are in a season of some unrest, .... unrest economically, unrest politically, unrest in the world situation, unrest in our hearts, unrest in our homes, in the mist of this ordinary season of unrest and expectation we are called to "wait patiently upon the Lord"....for the Lord will "lift us out of the desolate pit and make our feet sure."

God will provide, even, and especially, when we are in the midst of the pit, God will provide. Not only that, the story of our Faith is of a God who sends a Son, a God who stoops down to our desolate, ordinary level, who reaches down to us and cares for us, picks us up and "puts a new song in our mouths!"

Thanks be to God!

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey



Psalm 40 Expectans, expectavi

1 I waited patiently upon the LORD; *
he stooped to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; *
he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God; *
many shall see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Happy are they who trust in the LORD! *
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.
5 Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us! *
there is none who can be compared with you.
6 Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! *
but they are more than I can count.
7 In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure *
(you have given me ears to hear you);
8 Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, *
and so I said, "Behold, I come.
9 In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: *
'I love to do your will, O my God;
your law is deep in my heart.'"
10 I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; *
behold, I did not restrain my lips;
and that, O LORD, you know.
11 Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; *
I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.
12 You are the LORD;
do not withhold your compassion from me; *
let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,
13 For innumerable troubles have crowded upon me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see; *
they are more in number than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.
14 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; *
O LORD, make haste to help me.
15 Let them be ashamed and altogether dismayed
who seek after my life to destroy it; *
let them draw back and be disgraced who take pleasure in my misfortune.
16 Let those who say "Aha!" and gloat over me be confounded, *
because they are ashamed.
17 Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad; *
let those who love your salvation continually say,
"Great is the LORD!"
18 Though I am poor and afflicted, *
the Lord will have regard for me.
19 You are my helper and my deliverer; *
do not tarry, O my God.

This is your brain on Biblical Inerrancy - Father Matthew Cooks up another good one

A presentation on Biblical Inerrancy by Episcopal priest, Matthew Moretz. The piece deals with the problems that come with believing that the Scriptures are infallible in every way. Biblical inerrancy can be an obstacle to Christian faith, and a kind of idolatry if one isn't careful. As suggested in the video, something doesn't have to be infinitely perfect for God to speak through it. This is an installment of the "Father Matthew Presents" series, now in stunning HD. Father Matthew is a priest at Christ's Church (Episcopal) in Rye, New York.

www.fathermatthewpresents.com

www.ccrye.org

You can purchase his DVD on the Sacraments at https://www.createspace.com/260580

Who is your stronghold? - Psalm 46

While praying the Daily Office this morning, Psalm 46 came up as the reading for this day of Epiphany. If ever there were words that we need to hear in anxious times, it would be Psalm 46, which begins: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." And, of course, we all are in "trouble" and "fear" at times in our life. Things in our life do cause the "earth to be moved" and trusted mountains "topple into the depths of the sea." Whether it is our present uneasiness with the current economic crisis, or our confusion and sadness about ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the seemingly intractable conflict between Hamas and Israel, events seem beyond our control, and peace and security seem so far away. Where is our stronghold? Where do we go for strength? Psalm 46 makes the striking and audacious claim that we are to turn to the Lord, quite an amazing claim in the somewhat relativistic and atheistic (or at least agnostic) and secular age!

"The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold." This assertion is repeated three times in this psalm, are we ready to turn to prayer, are we willing to "turn aside" as Moses did when he passed the Burning Bush? Are we willing to recognize the great gift that God has given us, the gift of God's presence, the gift of God among us - Emanuel?

We move to the end of the Christmas Season, and into Ephiphany, but the miracle and the wondrous gift of the Incarnation is with us still, and abides with us always. God is our stronghold, and is a very present help in trouble! God has been through this with us, and we will get through it as well (whatever "it" may be).

God is our stronghold!

May we have the curiosity and courage to "turn aside" and see this very present help in trouble!

~ The Rev. Peter M. Carey


Psalm 46 Deus noster refugium

1	God is our refuge and strength, * a very present help in trouble.
2	Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, * and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
3	Though its waters rage and foam, * and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
4	The LORD of hosts is with us; * the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
5	There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, * the holy habitation of the Most High.
6	God is in the midst of her; she shall not be overthrown; * God shall help her at the break of day.
7	The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; * God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.
8	The LORD of hosts is with us; * the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
9	Come now and look upon the works of the LORD, * what awesome things he has done on earth.
10	It is he who makes war to cease in all the world; * he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire.
11	"Be still, then, and know that I am God; * I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth."
12	The LORD of hosts is with us; * the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

John 10: 10 "I came so that [you] might live, and live abundantly!"

From today's Morning Prayer, John 10:7-17, which contains one of the key summary verses from John, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Also can be translated, "I came so that YOU might live, and live abundantly." Quite some words to live by! John's gospel makes it clear that Jesus came from the Cosmos to live among us, to be "incarnate" - to be "enfleshed" here amidst us, coming from the Father, but now amidst and among and within us. And, because of his work on the cross, to follow God obediently, Jesus has taken up our failings, our brokenness, our hurt, our sin, and we are left with the promise of an abundant life here on earth, and a fuller abundant life in the beyond that Jesus has opened up for us. "I have come so that YOU might LIVE, and LIVE ABUNDANTLY." In these days of "New Year's Resolutions," of handwringing over the economy, of strange hope in the new year based on wordly leaders taking power, we would do well to remember that Jesus came so that we might have abundant lives, and so that we might have these abundant lives NOW, beginning NOW, and no New Year's resolutions are needed to receive this gift.
What would this mean in our family lives? What would this mean in our work? What would this mean in our giving to others? What would this mean for the Church? What would this mean for our local churches? What would this mean for the Anglican Communion (whatever, indeed, that is?)? What would this mean for racial reconciliation? What would this mean for our work for peace with justice? What would this mean for the stewardship of creation?

"I came that they [you] may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

I pray that we all will have the eyes to see and the ears to hear these words so that we can receive the gift of abundant lives today, and in this New Year, and in every year!
Peace and Blessings,
~ Rev. Peter M. Carey

John 10:7-17 (NRSV)

7So again Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came
before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate.
Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief
comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it
abundantly. 11'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming
and leaves the sheep and runs away-and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13The
hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14I am the good
shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know
the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that do not belong to
this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock,
one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to
take it up again.

Encountering the Mystery of God: Reading Stephen Cook's, "Conversations with Scripture: 2 Isaiah"

One of the brilliant teachers I was blessed to have in seminary was Dr. Stephen Cook, who is a wonderful Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) scholar, as well as a great teacher and writer (also, check out his blog HERE). He published "Conversations with Scripture: 2 Isaiah" this year and I have browsed it just a bit until this point. Being the final day of the year (at least in the Julian Calendar), and being that this is a day "off" (though occupied with watching children, cleaning the house, etc), I picked it up again. This book has a wonderful discussion and exposition of 2 Isaiah, the 2nd part of the book of Isaiah, a book of the Old Testament that (along with the Psalms) is quoted the most in the New Testament, and one that we hear often in the Christmas season. It is a good read, and Cook is brilliant in helping us to see this book with new eyes, not making the complex overly simple, but giving some "onramps" into this incredible text.

The "mystery" of God is central to 2 Isaiah, and Cook has helped me to encounter this "awe-ful" aspect of God in new ways, here is just an excerpt from the Introduction:

"Awe before Isaiah's God refreshes our reverence. It submerges the ego, paving the way for owning up to our frailty. It turns us outward from concern with self to the need and suffering for others, especially the poor and peripheral. As we repose ever more deeply in God's mystery, the Lord who is absolutely sufficient for our succor increasingly works through us to relieve others' brokenness. Simultaneously, the Holy transforms us into ever more reverent advocates of the natural world."

Just brilliant, thank you Dr. Cook!

~ Rev. Peter M. Carey

"you comforted me" -- Isaiah 12:1-6

from this morning's Daily Office:

...give thanks...you comforted me...I will trust...will not be afraid...Give thanks to the Lord...sing for joy!...

Isaiah 12:1-6

NRSV

Isaiah 12:1 You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Vision of the Lord's appearing - from today's Morning Prayer - Isaiah 35:1-10

Isa. 35:1-10 (NRSV)

1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you."

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but
the redeemed shall walk there. 10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

7 Principles of Biblical Interpretation

7 Principles of Biblical Interpretation
from The Episcopal Cafe

By Greg Jones

Episcopalians share a common "book" of prayer, worship and wisdom with Christians of every age and place. This common book is not the Prayer book. It's not the English language. It's not even the Western literary canon. No, of course it's the Bible - which forms the common sacred library of all who follow Christ. But, in a Christianity so global and diverse, we Episcopalians need to be able to understand for ourselves, and explain to others who inquire, "What do we think the Bible is, and how do we engage it?"

I believe that most Episcopalians would agree with the notion that just as God has called forth the Church to exist as the Body of Christ, inextricably bound with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures are likewise inextricably bound to the Church. We do not understand what the Bible is apart from its being woven up from and into the fabric of the Church, nor can we interpret it apart from a location within the life and activity of the Church. That being said, what guidelines can be found to clarify things a bit? Well, I think the Diocese of New York teaching document Let the Reader Understand is excellent, and from it, I think the following seven points should be taught across the whole Episcopal Church.

7 Principles of Biblical Interpretation

1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are "the Word of God" and "contain all things necessary to salvation." They are called the Word of God by the household of faith, not because God dictated the biblical text, but because the Church believes that God inspired its human authors through the Holy Spirit and because by means of the inspired text, read within the sacramental communion of the Church, the Spirit of God continues the timely enlightenment and instruction of the faithful.

2. The Holy Scriptures are the primary constitutional text of the Church. They provide the basis and guiding principles for our common life with God, and they do so through narrative, law, prophecy, poetry, and other forms of expression. Indeed, the Scriptures are themselves an instrument of the Church's shared communion with Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, who uses them to constitute the Church as a Body of many diverse members, participating together in his own word, wisdom, and life.

3. The Scriptures, as "God's Word Written," bear witness to, and their proper interpretation depends upon, the paschal mystery of God's Word incarnate, crucified and risen. Although the Scriptures are a manifestly diverse collection of documents representing a variety of authors, times, aims, and forms, the Church received and collected them, and from the beginning has interpreted them for their witness to an underlying and unifying theme: the unfolding economy of salvation, as brought to fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Read the entire article HERE.

Politics of Fear...

I often wonder if we had been better served in these last years by a president who might have embraced something other than the politics of fear. Further, for this president who claims to be such an evangelical, I wonder whether he really has spent enough time with the scriptures, which seem to state, in no uncertain terms that we are to "Fear NOT"! The psalms reiterate over and over the fact that we are really only to fear the Lord, and Jesus was trying to lift his followers out of their own fearfulness and reactivity. Maybe these leaders should set down the Wall Street Journal and pick up the Good Book for 30 minutes before bed!

Many people are living these days in fear that is perhaps quite justified with the financial markets in such turmoil. It is a time for leadership, it is a time for realism, but it is a time to set aside fear .... we have seen worse times, and leaders sometimes rise to the challenge. I do hope our president does ... in the meantime, I can't but wonder what another president might say, and do...

~ The Rev. Peter M. Carey