the Magdalene From the Desk of Fr. Neil SACRIFICE Published Monthly August 2015 Volume 37, Issue 8 sacrifice is beneficial to us.

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1 Published Monthly August 2015 Volume 37, Issue 8 the Magdalene From the Desk of Fr. Neil SACRIFICE The dictionary provides verbs relating to sacrifice such as: to give up, surrender, dispose of and permit. Depending on how we view these things, it all looks so much like an inconvenience to us. The truth is, none of us can go through life without sacrificing something at sometime. Accepting the last sentence I just wrote means sacrificing a different point of view. So let s just sacrifice a little time for a moment and contemplate this word. Sacrifice doesn't always have to be something bad. Sometimes we sacrifice junk food and the benefit is a healthier body. But even then, we are giving up something. And we don't like to give things up if we don't have to even if we should. It is all a matter of perspective. If we accept the fact that sacrifice is not always bad, then we can move forward and look at the ways St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church 205 So. Glassell Street Old Town Orange, CA Rev. Fr. Neil Edlin, Rector Sunday Services: 8am Mass 10am Choral Mass & Children s Sunday School Wednesday Service: 9am sacrifice is beneficial to us. Turning to the Bible, we find many uses of the word. Learning to love the ways in which we make sacrifices and understanding the word can be very fruitful. Biblical sacrifice is the most rewarding kind of all. The root of the word is the Latin sacer meaning holy (where we get words like sacred). The second half of the word, facere, means to make or to do. So at its root, to sacrifice is to make holy or to set apart. (When I sacrifice chocolate, I don't really feel like I am doing something holy, however!) In our current context, sacrifice is used or intended to mean the giving up of something, rather than making it holy or set apart. But if we look again at some of the biblical quotes from above, sacrifice setting apart as holy is exactly what is happening. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:16 ESV) The author of Hebrews tells us that we are not to neglect doing good and sharing. Sharing certainly is sacrificial. If we share with someone, we are not giving its full use to us alone. We are setting it apart and giving it to someone else. But he says, doing this is pleasing to God. Perhaps it would help us to remember that all things come from God, and whatever He requires we share with others is a sacrifice that brings the fruit of joy because it is pleasing to God. If God is calling us to sacrifice, then it will be for our benefit. 1

2 He never orders things for those He loves for any other reason.other than His glory. Paul writes in his letter to the Roman Church, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1 ESV) This is again something we do in order to be pleasing and acceptable to God. We sacrifice our entire bodies. We are called to set apart our bodies from things that are not good for us for those things that are. This is a living sacrifice. Paul means for us to do everything for God, not counting anything as loss (because it isn t). One big sacrificial passage comes from Ephesians chapter 5. I find that when involved in marriage counseling, this is a topic that takes a lot of time to understand. And even after a short time spent in my office, the couple must work and live it out themselves. Ephesians 5 is one of a few passages that guide the Christian in what is involved in marriage; and it is full of sacrificial admonishments. Wives submit to your husbands. Husbands love your wives (as Christ loved the Church). Each is called to give sacrifice self, to a degree, to more fully satisfy the other. Wives are called not to think of themselves first and foremost, but of the man they are married to. Husbands, likewise. They must sacrifice self-centered ideas and learn to care for and nurture the woman who has been put in his charge. If both seek to sacrifice for the other though it will be a constant imbalance one way or the other in a fallen world the relationship will be much more in line with what God desires for a marriage. Finally, Christians today are being called to do more and more sacrificing in light of the secular culture s increasing push to eradicate anything that resembles Christianity or the standards that flow from it. But there is at least one instance where we are never to sacrifice. We are never to sacrifice the truth of the Gospel and the Christian faith. In the times of Christianity s greatest sacrifices in the early Church, under heavy persecution.though being cast into prison, thrown to lions, dipped in wax and being set on fire.though that may be sacrifice in one way, this is the way the Church of Jesus Christ advances. This is the sacrifice God calls His people to endure on the path to eternity. The early Church sacrificed only earthly life, but they gained eternal life in return. We may be forced to sacrifice religious freedoms today and even more in the near future, but the result will be: The Kingdom of God advances, Christ is glorified, and Christians are sanctified. God says that His power is made perfect in weakness. Christian sacrifice is a form of weakness, in that it accepts certain things, but it is stronger than ever in reality, because God has determined that this is the way He builds His Kingdom. Many people were attracted to the Christian faith by seeing Christians gladly in many cases sacrificing their lives rather than their convictions. Some of those who oversaw the killing of Christians in the early Church converted to Christianity on the spot because they said they would never be able to die for their own gods like the Christians sacrificed and died for theirs. So the sacrifices we are being called to make today, should make us be glad that God is working to build His Kingdom and that these sacrifices are not really sacrifices at all. They are corrective steps on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. We are called to present our bodies whenever we need to, as a living sacrifice to God, and nothing else. This is what God says is acceptable. We are called to be set apart from the world, and the world is all too glad to oblige. But if we keep our minds fixed on the greatest sacrifice of all, the death of God s Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who knows.our sacrifice may be just what someone needs to see to join us in being set apart for Christ. Our sacrifice will never replace the Gospel, but it can be a witness to our faith in Christ s sacrifice once for all. 2

3 SHORT STUDIES THE COUNCILS OF THE CHURCH, Part 7 CONCLUSION In this final article on the Councils of the Church I will close our brief study of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and talk a little about how Anglicans receive them. Article 21 of the Anglican Church s 39 Articles, states in part: General Councils when they be gathered together, forasmuch as they be an assembly of men, whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and word of God, they may err and sometime have erred, even in things pertaining to God. Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture. Of the total of seven Ecumenical Councils, there has been some distinction made by Anglicans regarding the first four and the last three. The first four are generally accepted across the board as orthodox in their pronouncements. The last three have received Anglican acceptance but with certain cautions. The fifth and sixth Ecumenical Councils are consistent with and add nothing to the basic conclusions of the first four. Nothing substantially new was declared. The Seventh Council (Nicaea II, held in 787AD) was called to settle the issue of iconoclasm (icon breaking). For about sixty years or so, leading up to this Council, there was heated debate over the use of icons as well as how much veneration or even worship is to be given if at all - to them. Many saw icon use as worshiping images in direct defiance of the Second Commandment and took action to remove them - sometimes by force. Other argued that it was not worship but veneration and adoration of what they represented. The Council in the end stated in part: As the sacred and life-giving cross is everywhere set up as a symbol, so also should the images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the holy angels, as well as those of the saints and other pious and holy men be embodied in the manufacture of sacred vessels, tapestries, vestments, etc., and exhibited on the walls of churches, in the homes, and in all conspicuous places, by the roadside and everywhere, to be revered by all who might see them. For the more they are contemplated, the more they move to fervent memory of their prototypes. Therefore, it is proper to accord to them a fervent and reverent adoration, not, however, the veritable worship which, according to our faith, belongs to the Divine Being alone for the honor accorded to the image passes over to its prototype, and whoever adores the image adores in it the reality of what is there represented. The council tried to be careful to differentiate between proper veneration and adoration versus outright worship of images, as is states that worship belongs to the Divine Being alone, (i.e. God, Jesus). Though this council is accepted generally, it is noteworthy that some Christians including Anglicans are cautious about its conclusions and allowances. Anglican priest Rev. Dr. Peter Toon writes, In the creation of the dogma of the Holy Trinity, the Fathers wanted only to use the language of Scripture but had in the end, in order to banish error, to use certain Greek terms in a precise way (e.g., homoousios) in order to provide an accurate summary of the testimony of the whole Bible to the identity of GOD Their primary material was always Scripture and to it they returned all the time as they added sophistication to the developing doctrines. Certainly they appealed also to the practice of the church in worship and to the testimony of prominent Fathers; but, the final court of appeal was the testimony and witness of the Scriptures 3

4 When one comes to the use of icons, one notices the late date of the dogma many years after the setting forth of the dogma on the Trinity & Person of Christ Certainly in the Old Testament one can find some kind of evidence in the nature of the Ark of the Covenant and the Cherubim over it, but one is more conscious in the Old Testament and New Testament of the commandments against any kind of idolatry - no graven images of any kind - than of approval of a very limited form of symbols/images. Therefore, reason tells one that a very major case from tradition has to be made in order to surmount this lack of Biblical evidence. 1 This is wise counsel. The Scriptures must be our final authority when the Church meets in any capacity. Men can err, the Scriptures cannot. Images have been used since the earliest days of the Church, but only God may be worshiped. ORDO CALENDAR ACTIVITIES August 6 has been chosen by the church to commemorate the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. Read Matthew 1:1-13. Please light a church votive candle in remembrance of John the Baptist who was martyred on August 29. Read Mark 6: and-anglican.html 4 GUILDS, GROUPS & EVENTS LECTURE ON ARCHBISHOP MATTHEW PARKER Join us for the third and final, in our series of lectures on different historical Anglican religious figures or those who have influenced Anglicanism. On August 2nd at 11:30am Fr. Neil will be speaking on the life of Archbishop Matthew Parker and the impact he had on the Anglican Church. Well known as the Archbishop of Canterbury, he was an influential theologian and co-founder of a distinctive tradition of Anglican theological thought. Bring a Brown Lunch to eat in the Parish Hall. MEET US FOR SUNDAY BRUNCH Why eat alone when you can eat with your church family? Every 4 th Sunday, everyone comes together to break bread at one of the local restaurants after the 10:00 Eucharist, around noon. August s restaurant is a surprise! The first person to guess gets a free cup of coffee after 10am service Watch for the signup sheet in the Narthex. BIBLE STUDY WEDNESDAY IS OFF TO A GREAT START This Bible Study session covers the book of Deuteronomy which started August 5th and will continue through November 25 th. Deuteronomy describes the transition from the Israelites wandering in the wilderness to their inhabitance of Canaan. The class is held on Wednesdays at 6:30pm and is open to the public. A bible will be provided if you do not have one. These studies are designed for beginners and regular bible students.

5 THE 10TH ANNUAL MEN S CHILI COOK OFF IS HAPPENING SOON Calling all chefs, cooks, and great chili masters! On September 25th the Men s Christian Fellowship Group will be hosting our 10th Annual Chili Cook Off. Be prepared to taste some of the best chili you have ever eaten. Brian Lee will be organizing the cooks. A sign up sheet with all the rules and regulations will be posted in the Narthex soon. This marks a decade of delicious chili making competition. Don t miss out! $5 per person will cover all the chili you can taste. WOW! A DECADE OF CHILI! 5

6 NEWS NOTES & REMINDERS THE PATRONAL BBQ WAS A HUGE SUCCESS Wow! More than 70 members, family and friends showed up to eat burgers and enjoy the day. We had a great band that played popular songs on guitar. The hit of the day was the Bean Bag Toss orchestrated by Lou Carlson and provided great fun for both kids and adults. There were four teams with the Big Winner being Amanda Vander Woude with a Sudden Death score of 1. Two beautiful gifts baskets that were raffled off to raise money for our Outreach Program. Congratulations to the winners, Ida Von Mizener and Susan Sammons. Have a great time at the movies! ANGLICAN HERITAGE SPEAKER SPERIES Fr. Neil gave an enlightening talk on Isaac Watts, the great composer and a very interesting man. His ability to write music earned him the nickname of the Father of English Hymnody. Watch for the announcement on the next Speaker Series. FRIENDLY REMINDER ABOUT 4 th SUNDAY BRUNCH Remember that the Chili Cook Off will be replacing the Sunday Brunch for September. ATTENTION CHURCH GROUP LEADERS Thank you for taking the time to write an article concerning events or activities about the church group you lead. These articles need to be submitted no later than the 3 rd Monday of every month for review and approval. Please send them directly to Fr. Neil. DISTANT HELLOS Please check the bulletin board in the Narthex for notes and letters from parishioners who have moved away but still keep in touch. This month we heard from Eric and Wendy Coykendall. CALENDAR AT A GLANCE AUGUST Men's Fellowship 8/2 9:00am - 9:30am Women's Devotional 8/2 9:15am - 9:50am Speaker Series- 8/2 11:30am Archbishop Matthew Parker Brown Bag Lunch Women s Guild 8/9 11:30am Men s Christian 8/9 11:30 Fellowship (MCF) Vestry Meeting 8/12 7:00pm Craft Guild Knitting & 8/16 11:30am Crocheting Sunday Brunch 8/23 12:00pm Surprise Restaurant Bible Study 8/5 8/19 6:30PM SEPTEMBER Men s Fellowship 8/6 9:00am 9:30am Women s Devotional 9/6 9:15am 9:50am Labor Day Parking Lot Fundraiser 9/4-9/6 Fri 5pm-9pm Sat 10am-9pm Sun Noon-pm Vestry Meeting 9/9 7:00pm Patriot Day Mass 9/13 10:00am Men s Christian 9/14 11:30am Fellowship (MCF) Women s Guild 9/14 11:30am Craft Guild 9/21 11:30am Chili Cook-off 9/25 12:00pm (Replaces Brunch) Bible Study 9/2 9/16 9/23 9/30 6:30 pm 6