4^th Sunday after Trinity

Deacon Louis Linn

“Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.”

In the name of the Father………………………………….

Thursday night in Columbus, Ga. at 9:30 the temperature outside was 98 degrees!  Friday afternoon I drove six hours back to Fletcher and then got up at six Saturday morning to drive Sam to Charlotte for a tournament and then drove back home.  Fr. Edwards also enjoyed a long hot drive back to North Carolina from Columbus.  Father and I drew straws to see who would do the sermon for today, and guess who lost?

To be serious, today’s Gospel reminds us of the first and great commandment and also the second which is like unto it; that thou shall love thy neighbor as thou self.  St Luke reminds us today that we shall receive in like what we give; and so very often, it is not the love and understanding required of us by our Lord.  It is too easy for us to believe that we have an understanding of God’s written word and plans, that simply escapes other people around us.  We go so far as to state that these others are sure to be banished to hell at the end of their lives, even though, even though, we are reminded throughout the Good Book, that we play no part in the judgment of others.  This is a job strictly reserved for our Lord and for His domain.  The fact is, in placing ourselves in such a judgmental position, we are in fact delegating  ourselves to a position contrary to our God and His Son.  “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:  condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned.  Simple words that seem so very hard to live by.

Before reaching this year’s Synod, I was warned by several people, “in the know”, that this Synod would be one of those made famous by American Anglicans.  You know, the ones where half of the delegates and clergy depart in a cloud of lightning and thunder, and start three more continuing orders, with of course at least three more Bishops for each one.  This Synod could have been just that, with the present discussion about uniting in some fashion with Rome; placing clergy and lay members on both sides of the issue with very strong differing ideas of what was right, wrong and acceptable.  Are Roman Catholics going to hell?  Are Anglicans going to hell?  Or is there more that bonds us together in our worship of God and His Son, then the differences that we stand so strongly on?

The fact is, that church leadership, from our Bishop down through our Standing Committee, is such that they have chosen to push us all toward our Lord in a way that has been absent for centuries.  I am sure that our Lord is envolved, because for the first time that I can remember in my lifetime, in our faith; love of our fellow Christians determined the direction of the conversation.  It was made clear to all that the primary concern of DEUS and the ACA was to make sure that no one, NO ONE, would lose their identity, their beliefs or a place to worship.

The solution to reuniting is so unique and so ingenious that it must in fact be born of devine intervention.  All churches would remain under the ACA.  All churches in DEUS would remain in DEUS.  If a congregation decided by vote to be Anglican or Roman Catholic they still would remain associated with those they know and are use to working with and love.  If a congregation were to have a split vote, no matter how many were for one or the other, then they would share the same facilities, expenses, ministries etc., and would have arrangements made to provide for their Communion by a Priest representing their decision.  We as Catholics will share in every aspect of our church lives that our hearts and souls lead us.  There will be no judging, no inferior faith.  There will not be the dismantling of what has been worked for so long and hard.  Instead the devil will find that the army he faces is strengthening and eager to do him battle.  The time has come that our house no longer divides against itself; but rather becomes mighty in the Lord by uniting those features of our faith that makes us true Christians.  Our love for one another.