CEC Breaking News and Father Riley's homily from August 11, 2019

CEC Breaking News!



…Father Riley will lead in Holy Eucharist August 18, 2019.  We will have our August vestry meeting following fellowship after church.  Mrs. Jane Barnett will lead us in Morning Prayer August 25.

…Please check out the diocesan website at  http://www.epiwla.org/  and register for  the upcoming evangelism event at Camp Hardtner, September 28.  The event features The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers. Some of us have already registered.  Here is the note from the diocesan website:

Come to Camp Hardtner on September 28 to discover a fresh, humble, effective and Episcopal approach to the spiritual practice of evangelism. The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers - Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Stewardship of Creation - will lead an engaging and practical workshop that will offer basic training in evangelism as well as the Way of Love. This workshop is for everyone: clergy, lay leaders, and anyone else who desires to deepen their faith and learn how to share their faith story with others.

Father Riley's homily:

PENTECOST, PROPER XIV - C - 19                       LUKE 12. 32-40

In a world such as we live in today with much of its focus on greed and self-interests, it is hard not to succumb to the world’s leaning of laying up treasures on earth rather than Jesus’ direction towards laying up treasures in heaven.

Today’s passage from Luke’s 12^th chapter is a continuation of Jesus’ teaching on what the proper conduct for his followers should be in a world filled with hypocrisy, greed, fear and anxiety.

Jesus has just told them not to be anxious about food or drink or what to wear. God knows our needs. Rather he exhorts us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and our needs will be taken care of. Have faith that God will provide, Jesus tells us, and do not be afraid.

Jesus is still talking about “true treasure” as he did in last week’ gospel, and how we are to lay it up for ourselves in heaven. One way is by giving alms. The key, however, is the heart. The heart is what God looks on not the outward appearance, and not what we wear, eat or drink or the size of our portfolio. But what is in our heart.

The human heart is the seat of our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” He concludes his teaching with a warning to be prepared for the day when the fullness of God’s kingdom will be ushered in with the Son of Man’s coming at an unexpected hour.

Not many would deny that our world today is a scary place. Our own society is a scary place. Events like the two that occurred last week in El Paso and Dayton are enough to make anyone afraid and anxious even to go out and about one’s daily routine.

Such occurrences are unfortunately becoming more and more common place. One needs to be vigilant and watchful for sadly you never know these days when you might encounter a similar situation almost anywhere.

That is a sobering thought, yet a reality. However, to be vigilant and watchful is the very thing Jesus is calling us to do in today’s gospel passage. For none of knows when He will return.

In seminary, we had an older priest on faculty who, in regards to that very fact would ask the question where do you want to be when the Lord comes again. Moreover, what do you want Him to find you doing when He comes? That too, some might say, is a sobering thought, and yet one day will become a reality.

It is a question that we should be prepared to answer for ourselves. Just as we should be vigilant and watchful in our daily comings and goings, for life is filled with uncertainty. As Christians, we need to be vigilant and watchful preparing for the Lord’s return. For Christ’ return will surely be at an hour we least expect.

Our not knowing the hour or the day, however, is not a cause to be afraid and anxious about the uncertainty of the time and place of it’s occurrence, but all the more reason why we should be preparing ourselves to receive Him with joy as we await His appearing.

How do we prepare? How can we stay focused, spiritually focused, that is, when the world around us seems to be in a state of chaos?

The answer is found throughout the gospels. It begins with Faith. Faith alone overrides fear. Belief in God’s promises helps us to remain focused on Him. Jesus begins today’ passage with “do not be afraid.” Each time this phrase appears in scripture good news follows.

However, one cannot hear and receive the good news unless one’s fear has first been resolved. If we allow ourselves to be ruled by fear and anxiety and live our lives accordingly, we will miss the opportunity to hear the good news and believe it for our faith will be smothered by fear.

As human beings we too often allow our faith to be smothered by the things that happen around us and even to us; things that are often out of our control. These are the very situations and circumstances that bring about the most fear and anxiety and cause us to question God.

In our first lesson, the Lord came to Abram with good news. “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” However, before God could announce the good news, Abram brought up his disappointment that he had no heir, no son to carry on the family name.

It was as if Abram was somehow blaming God that a salve born in his house was to be his heir. It was a situation that caused him much anxiety. Yet once Abram set aside his fear that this was his destiny, God was able to deliver the promise. Abram would have and heir of his own issue.

Not just an heir, but also a lineage of descendants that would out number the stars in heaven. As he stood gazing at the innumerable stars in heaven, Abram found himself believing God’s word and from that time on, he has remained the example of Faith for successive generations of believers.

Faith, as the author of Hebrews so eloquently writes, “Is the assurance of things Hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The world we live in today, with all of its various manifestations of evil, with all of its uncertainty, and divisions caused by hatred and mistrust, is indeed a scary place.

Thus, it is easy for any of us to fall into the trap of letting fear and anxiety rule our lives. Yet when we do we lose focus, spiritual focus and our faith is overcome by things that are beyond our control.

However, if we are to be truly prepared for the Lord’s return, we must set aside our fear and remain steadfast in our Faith believing in the goodness, the Love, and mercy of God, turning our hearts to Him. For it is only by His grace we are enabled to live according to his will.

By this, we prepare ourselves to receive with Joy the coming of our Lord and the fullness of the kingdom, which is the Father’s good pleasure to give us. For as St. Paul aptly reminds us in today’s Epistle, we are merely sojourners in this land. This is not our true home.

As followers of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus, we seek and desire a better one, a heavenly one, the one Jesus promises will be ours if we seek God’s kingdom first, and His righteousness, and seek it with all our heart by placing our Faith and our Trust in Him. AMEN+