St. Mark’s Lutheran

The prayer book that I have been using has the days scripture readings (OT, Epistle and Gospel), a 4th reading from the church and opening and closing prayers. Tuesdays the opening prayers come from the Book of Common Prayer. The original version was the work of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury – the English Reformation prelate. The book has gone through many revisions and “updatings”, but many of Cranmer’s words survive. It really is a testament to his understanding of human nature and of church teaching that so many still speak. The one that was in today really spoke.

O God, from whom all good proceeds. Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, for ever and ever. Amen.

With our sin clouded mind we see good as evil and evil as good. And even when we see aright, we don’t always act with love. Grant by your inspiration that we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guidding do them. All good proceeds from God and returns to God – by the Word and through the Spirit. Amen

Tags: Meditation, grace by Parson Brown
No Comments »

Text: Colossians 1:15-23

The title is an uber-geek joke. Julius Ceasar’s Gallic Wars began with that phrase, and ever since it has been fashionable to divide things into three parts. Faith, Hope and Charity. Past, Present and Future. The three point sermon/speach. Three branches of civil government. Body, mind and spirit. It seems like there is nothing in this world that someone, somewhere, has not divided into three parts. But there is another division scheme in nature, the polarity. Male and Female, the right and the left both physically and politically, two chambers of Congress, Body and Soul, the American League and the National League. The lists could go on. Why do so many things in our natural world take on the appearance of twos and threes?

Maybe it is just blind chance. Threes are a stable form that got passed down by natural selection like three legs for a stool, and twos promote genetic diversity. Or maybe the physical universe is patterned on its creator. Paul makes that argument in Romans 1:19-20. And isn’t that the argument Paul is stating here in Colossians 1:15-23? All things were created through him and for him…He is the beginning…that in everything he might be pre-eminent. The warp and woof of the creation points to the creator. Of course that is proof or support only for those who already believe. Another standard trope is the numerologist nut or the person who sees patterns where there aren’t any (reference the movie A Beautiful Mind about mathematician John Nash.)

The threes reflect the Trinity and the twos the nature of Christ – True Man Jesus, True God the only begotton son, the word of God, together in one Christ. The creation reflecting and revealing the profound mystery of the life of God which we can only approach through Christ who came to us to reveal the Father. Not to go off the deep end, but just your mystical thought for the day…

Tags: Colossians, Meditation, Word by Parson Brown
1 Comment »