Archive for the ‘Anglican’ Category

21 May

A psalm for facing adversity

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Adversity, advice, Anglican, Bible, Choices, christ, Christian, Christianity, control, depression, Disaster, Faith, Fear, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, joy, peace, Prayer, Religion, Seven Penitential Psalms, simplicity, Sin, spiritual, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

David Praying – Hungarian Gradual 1500-1520

Along the wilderness journey we call life, one will inevitably face periods of adversity. They can begin in a multitude of ways. Some of the most common causes are the death of a loved one, a bad medical diagnosis, the breakup of a love relationship, losing a job, or a personal financial crisis just to name a few. In extreme cases, severe adversity can make one wonder whether their life is worth living anymore.

My life has been overflowing with adversity recently, including the deaths of a beloved uncle and a beloved brother-in-law in rapid succession, and my own health concerns. Prayer and meditation on God’s word can be a great source of comfort when facing adversity. The Lord Jesus has given his followers a model for prayer in what today we generally refer to as “the Lord’s Prayer.” The most familiar form of His prayer is found in chapter 11 of Luke’s Gospel.

It is Jesus model for daily prayer and focuses on approaching life with faith in God, one day at a time. I suspect that Jesus prayed a similar prayer daily.  I have found Psalm 143 to be a wonderful companion to the Lord’s Prayer, particularly when believers are navigating periods of adversity. This psalm is attributed to David and is one of the Seven Penitential Prayers found in the Book of Psalms. Below I share some thoughts on how this psalm speaks to me.

Psalm 143 (a form used in the Scottish Episcopal Church)

1 Lord, hear my prayer, and in your faithfulness heed my supplications;
answer me in your righteousness.  

This is an opening petition acknowledging that God listens to my prayers and takes them to heart. Our God is a good listener and is never too busy to pay attention when one of His children prays. He seriously considers each prayer I lift up to Him, and he answers each according to His holy will.

2 Enter not into judgement with your servant, for in your sight shall no one living be justified. Verse 2 asks God not to judge me by my actions, as all have sinned against Him and fallen short of the total obedience He requires. I can rest assured that I don’t have to earn the right to pray to God. Christ has already paid the price of admission for a space where I may kneel before the throne of God the Father and offer my heartfelt prayers. Jesus is my advocate before the Father and the Holy Spirit prays for me when I lack the proper words to make my own petitions.   

3 For my enemy has sought my life; he has crushed me to the ground; he has made me live in dark places like those who are long dead. 4 My spirit faints within me; my heart within me is desolate.

These verses remind me of 1 Peter 5, which describes Satan as a roaring lion that is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. For me it paints a dark picture of the adversity I am facing, as if I were hiding in a tomb, filled with a spirit of fear and hopelessness, abandoned by God.  Jesus must have felt like this hanging on the cross, asking why God had forsaken him.

5 I remember the time past; I muse upon all your deeds; I consider the works of your hands.
Verse 5 steps back and from the darkness and depression of the two preceding verses as the Psalmist recalls how God has led him through adversity and saved him. As I read this verse, I recall the many times in my life God has rescued me from adversity.

6 I spread out my hands to you; my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land.7 O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; do not hide your face from me or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.

Like a small child reaching for the outstretched hands of a loving parent, I trust in my God for comfort and sustenance. My spirit thirsts for God like the desert thirsts for water. I ask God to respond quickly, as I feel like I’m standing on the brink of disaster.

8 Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning, for I put my trust in you; show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to you.

As I begin a new day, I ask God to reassure me of his loving presence.  I trust in God to sustain me throughout the day.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, for I flee to you for refuge.

I ask God to foil the plans of my enemies, both spiritual and physical ones.  Seeking refuge from my enemies, I turn to God’s word and prayer for comfort.

10 Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God; let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me along a safe path where I may understand God’s will for my life and learn how to do His will. I pray that the Holy Spirit will move the mountains of adversity that are in my way.

11 Revive me, O Lord, for your name’s sake; for your righteousness’ sake, bring me out of trouble.

My spirit grows weary and I need God to renew and refresh me. In accordance with His holy will, I ask him to rescue me from all adversity that troubles me.

12 Of your goodness, destroy my enemies and bring all my foes to naught, for truly I am your servant.

This closing verse echoes verse 9, reiterating my need for God’s protection from my enemies.  I am reminded that as God’s servant, I am owned and protected in His holy service.  

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

—Isaiah 41:10

14 Aug

Political Solutions

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Adversity, advice, Anglican, Bible, Christian, Christianity, Culture, Faith, Politics, Religion, Uncategorized, Words. Tagged: , , , , , , .

The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.  –Psalm 33:10-12*

The November midterm elections will soon be here and the political theater being played out in the media is growing more intense by the day. We live in an age of great political division. Many national leaders and prominent politicians think that they have all the answers, but they’re wrong. As the above passage from Psalm 33 notes, “The Lord foils the plans of the nations.” God remains in charge. There are no political solutions to America’s woes.  What we need is more Jesus!

Here in America, those on the political right condemn the activities of the political left. Those on the left condemn the right.  We hear and see it every day.  “Our way is best for the American people.” “They’re weak on defense.” “They trample on the Constitution.” “They only know how to tax and spend.”  “Their policies are destroying the environment.” “Their policies are destroying the economy.”  Politics pits friend against friend, men against women, husbands against wives, parents against children, nation against nation, religion against religion, and Christian against Christian.  The latter saddens me deeply—it just shouldn’t be. Christians should be kind to everyone, especially fellow believers. The Apostle Paul tells us:

“There is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, (insert Republican or Democrat), but we are one in Christ Jesus.”  –Galatians 3:28

Jesus told Pontius Pilate in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” This wisdom reminds all Christians that we, including politicians, answer to a higher authority than the government or political leaders.  In 1 Kings 22, the story is told of the time the King of Israel had to decide whether or not to go to war against Syria. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, advised his fellow ruler, “First seek the counsel of the Lord” before making a decision,” (verse 5). This is sound advice that Christians, and especially Christian politicians, would do well to take to heart. Seek God’s guidance before seeking the guidance of man.  We should also note Matthew 5:16, “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Christians should be the living face and hands of Christ to the world.

God “makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them away,” (Job 12:23). Political leaders rule because God allows them to, “for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God,” (Romans 13:1b). God can upset human plans, but no one can thwart His plans or purpose. God loves the world and sent His only begotten Son to suffer and die to atone for the sins of every person of every political ilk.

Pastor Eugene Cho is CEO of Bread for the World, a non-partisan, Christian advocacy organization based in the USA. I highly recommend an article he penned a decade ago titled, “The 10 Commandments of Engaging Politics.” It contains a wealth of sound advice for Christians today as we approach the November elections. His article is available at this safe link:

https://eugenecho.com/2012/10/16/thou-shalt-follow-these-10-commandments-of-the-presidential-election-season/

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.  –Psalm 105:1-4

*All Bible quotes are NIV.

21 Feb

Stay close to the word

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Anglican, Apostle Paul, Bible, christ, Christian, Christianity, Daily Devotional, Faith, Grace, Jesus, learning, Religion, simplicity, spiritual, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

“The Bible is not an option; it is a necessity. You cannot grow spiritually strong without it.” –Billy Graham

I’m shocked at how many professing Christians I’ve met know very little about the Bible. How can this be? The biblical Hebrew faith placed great emphasis on reading the Scriptures aloud and then interpreting the reading. Luke 4:14-20 tells us:

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’”

When the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem after years of Babylonian captivity, the scribe Ezra brought the Book of the Law of Moses before them to read. Nehemiah 8:3 tells us, “He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.” Not only did the people listen to the reading of the Law from early morning until midday; they paid attention; they rose to their feet when Ezra opened the book (v.5); answered “Amen, Amen,” at the reading of the book (v.6); stood in their places (v.7); they all wept when they heard the words of the Law (v.9); and the people departed with great joy “because they now understood the words that had been made known to them” on that day (v.12).

The early Christians adopted a model of the public reading and interpretation of Scripture in worship; it has remained the practice in most Christian churches through the centuries. I was raised as a Southern Baptist, a denomination that emphasizes lifelong Bible study and exposes children to the Scripture from a very early age.  This occurs through the spoken word in sermons and Scripture readings during worship services; and by studying Scripture in Sunday school, Children’s Church, Bible studies, and other settings. The sermon is the centerpiece of the worship service. Immediately following the sermon there is a call by the preacher to respond to the sermon’s message by walking to the front of the sanctuary and professing one’s faith publicly or making a public rededication of one’s life to Christ.

Today I am an Anglican. Anglican worship services focus on “Word and Table,” the latter being the sacrament of Holy Communion. As for the word, Anglicans maintain a theological position that proclaiming the word is a means of grace; the word includes the sermon, but the emphasis is on proclaiming the witness to God in Jesus Christ and on God’s grace that flows through the proclamation. This proclamation is made both through Scripture reading and preaching a sermon. Sermons usually focus on one or more of the scripture selections in the appointed Lectionary readings of the day. The idea of the word places emphasis on the proclamation of Scripture as the spoken word of God that bears witness to the incarnate Word in Jesus Christ. However, it is not simply that it bears witness. The spoken word becomes the living and active word of God so that God speaks through the spoken word of Scripture. The spoken word becomes a means of grace.

Anglicans view the living word as a vehicle for performing God’s work in this world. As Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.’ Ephesians 8:17 calls the word “the Sword of the Spirit.”  The sword imagery is significant, as a sword is a weapon used both to deflect blows from an adversary and to strike back at one’s adversary.  When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), he refused Satan’s offers, citing Scripture as His defense and as a means of compelling Satan to depart from Him. Divine power flows from the words of Scripture.   

So, circling back to where I began, Christians need to study Scripture and theology! The late Rev. Dr. R. C.  Sproul explained it like this: “Many people believe that theological study holds little value. They say, ‘I don’t need theology; I just need to know Jesus.’ Yet theology is unavoidable for every Christian. It is our attempt to understand the truth that God has revealed to us—something every Christian does. So, it is not a question of whether we are going to engage in theology; it is a question of whether our theology is sound or unsound. It is important to study and learn because God has taken great pains to reveal Himself to His people. He gave us a book, one that is not meant to sit on a shelf pressing dried flowers, but to be read, searched, digested, studied, and chiefly to be understood.”

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  –2 Timothy 3:16-17

Beware of bartering the Word of God for a more suitable conception of your own.  –Oswald Chambers, Disciples Indeed

Click the link below for ideas on how to start a daily devotional habit.

 https://www.woh.org/2022/01/24/how-to-start-a-devotional-habit/