Blog Posts - Anglican Church | Fort Worth, TX | Saint Barnabas Church

Stations and Sacrifice

3/21/2019

The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross. -Anthony the Great

One of the hardest things about Lent is making sacrifices. The sacrifice of our time, routines, desires, and resources that we offer unto the Lord is not an easy task. And yet, it is a needful one. Sacrifice to God calls us to remember whose we are and who to whom we have submitted our lives unto as Christians, namely to God through Christ Jesus. However, walking out such submission can be a bit like tug of war if we are honest! We allow God to be Lord in certain seasons only to begin tugging to take back control of our lives at other times.

Lent affords us the opportunity to pause, refocus and return more fully to God. And doing so is essential to our continued growth in the likeness of Christ Jesus. It is through reflecting upon His sacrifice for us that the sacrifices we make are placed in their proper context. I find that walking the Stations of the Cross are vital in assisting us toward that end. Each of the fourteen moments marking the final steps of Jesus’ sacrifice for us gives us pause to reflect upon His suffering as He opened the way to salvation unto us.

His sacrifice for us flowed forth from His abundant love for us. Love that came to us even before we ever responded to it. As we have now responded to His love, it moves us to make sacrifices to keep the course that leads into His presence for all eternity. Walking these moments in the Stations of the Cross remind us of His love in a tangible way, and quite frankly requires the sacrifice of time on a Friday night to do so.

We would do well to consider that this time of sacrifice, as short as it may be (a half hour), to walk these moments of our Lord’s journey to the cross will enable us to walk into other sacrifices that will serve to reorder our very lives for the sake of the Gospel. In many ways, the small steps we take in Lent, and during Stations, allow us to begin somewhere, and remind us of God’s love for us and rekindles our love for Him. May we respond from the love we receive and make changes in our lives for the sake of our growth in Christ Jesus as we continue in this season. Perhaps a first step comes tomorrow night at 6:30 pm as we walk the Stations of the Cross once more this week.

Growing in generosity toward God in all things during Lent

2/28/2019

Next Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) marks the beginning of Lent and the forty day journey to Easter morning (service that evening is at 6:30 pm by the way). The Lenten season focuses upon returning to the Lord with our whole heart, as highlighted in Joel 2 which is read at service that evening. In our daily walk with the Lord the weight of the world, our own decisions, and even at times our neglect of our walk with the Lord leave us needing to refocus upon our relationship and priorities. Lent affords us an intentional time to do just that by taking inventory of our lives and to recommit, return, and be redirected in our walk with with Jesus.

At the church we will have many offerings to assist you toward that end. The regularity of midweek service on Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm with Bible study to follow will continue as usual. On Friday nights at 6:30 there will be an opportunity to walk the final steps of Jesus in the Stations of the Cross beginning on March 15. On Sunday mornings we will have small groups (Growth Groups) for the adults that focus upon taking inventory of our loves through James Smith’s You are what you Love, beginning on March 10 at 8:30 am. You may purchase a copy of the book here. And even if you can’t attend I’d commend it to you for your private study. Sunday School will focus upon this theme for our younger worshippers, as will the fellowship and study of the teens in Youth Group. Make these priorities in your schedule these next forty days.

Additionally, you may consider joining a service group, such as the lawn crew, readers on Sunday mornings, acolytes, or prayer shawl ministry during this season to create times to return to the Lord in deed as well. Keeping a Holy Lent truly is about growing in our generosity toward God in all aspects of our relationship with Him. Opportunities abound, but require a willingness and commitment on our part. Avail yourself of these opportunities over this season so as to emerge on Easter more closely walking with the Lord. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Where do we go from here?

2/21/2019

As we wrapped up our focus of looking outward in evangelism last week, we will soon turn our focus inward by looking at our own hearts. In my article last week I noted a rather shocking study that revealed how half of Millennials felt that it was wrong to evangelize. Part of this belief came from their own perceptions about the work of evangelism, but it also stems from one’s own walk with the Lord. By that I mean we need to take a good hard look at our own biases about the Faith, our commitment to it, priorities, and our walk with the Lord. If we are to be effective for the Kingdom, it begins and ends with us.

Lent is just around the corner, and is a season aimed at just that goal. Namely, in taking inventory of our lives. Ash Wednesday is March 6 this year, marking the beginning of that forty day journey to the annual reminder of the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Historically, it is a season when we give things up, fast and pray to assist us toward that end. And while it is a couple weeks away, I’d like to challenge you to do something different as a church this year. Take something on.

Take something on for the sake of your soul’s health. Do something that is not a part of your regular routine at present that will serve to deepen your walk with the Lord. If you are not in a small group, join one this season on Sunday mornings. Make the sacrifice to get up early, give something up after all, to be with the Lord and to invest in your life and to invest in the lives of your brothers and sisters in Christ. If your time in God’s Word is ‘spotty’ take up the daily offices during Lent to begin engaging it more regularly (send an email request to the office and I will get you a copy). Or perhaps come to confession to ‘clean out’ those things that weigh heavily on your heart that with a fresh slate you may be filed more fully with the Spirit of God, having turned from lesser things. Set the priority for midweek service and Bible study perhaps. The opportunities at the church abound to assist you.

Let Lent be a milestone in your life this year. If we are to take evangelism, stewardship, mission and ministry to heart, we must begin with our hearts. We need to evaluate where we are in relationship to God, which is a constant process. Lent is a great starting point in the weeks to come to be more intentional in this regard. Don’t miss this opportunity for spiritual growth. Begin praying and pondering today what you may do and what you may add for your soul’s health this Lent. If you need help, or want to talk more about it, my door is always open to you.

Houston we have a problem in the Church...

2/14/2019

Over the course of the past several weeks we have been exploring the topic of evangelism. We began this focus with the 1-1-3 challenge and the call to bring someone to Jesus over the course of the next three years. We started with prayer, moved to explore invitation and investing in the lives of others, and were urged to bear in mind that our own growth is vital as we cannot give what we do not have to share. Last Sunday, on World Mission Sunday, we were reminded of our call to reach the nations for Jesus. We noted the reality that the nations are all around us in North Texas as they move into our community, which presents us with the opportunity to befriend and incorporate them into Christian community at Saint Barnabas.

Interestingly, in the midst of this focus of evangelism at our church, a new study was released by the Barna group noting a major cultural barrier we have to break through in this work. The study uncovered an astounding statistic that nearly half of Millennials believe it is wrong to evangelize! Despite believing they are more equipped to share their faith than any other generation, they also firmly believe that if “someone disagrees with you then it means that they are judging you.” Therefore, they don’t share their faith because they don’t want it to come across as judgement upon others.

They are more likely to ‘evangelize’ through actions and lifestyle, believing others will see how they live and will be drawn to it. While commendable and true, such an approach is not enough. The quote often attributed to St. Francis, “preach the gospel and when necessary use words,” does not mean we shouldn’t use words but that our words and actions should be consistent. Throughout Scripture we are reminded that one cannot know what they have not been taught or heard (see Romans 10:14-15). Our Faith does need to be communicated in action, but words as well.

Yet to do so we need to recognize the cultural barriers we have to break through and perhaps those in our own lives. The study seems to point to a deep seated mentality that evangelism is combative, confrontational, and all together off-putting. The problem seems to lie not in evangelism, but the way in which we’ve gone about it. It cannot be seen as a sale to close, a deal to make, or a box to tick.

We must remember that a soul is at stake. And if we deem the eternal destination of the lives of those around us of the utmost importance, we must take the time to invest in them for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus’ model of investing in the lives of others was not hurried, and when He confronted their sins and shortcomings it often came through the context of those relationships (though not always!).

We perhaps need to continue to rethink evangelism. We are called to it as followers of Jesus, but the way in which we go about it is uniquely applied to the lives of those we engage. It takes as much a knowledge of them as it does our knowledge of the Faith, and of course a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, to present, guide, and walk with them in it. May God give us grace in such a high calling to not be those who shrink back, but with Faith persevere in reaching out into the lives of others.

World Mission Sunday

2/7/2019

O God our Savior, who wills that all people might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth: Prosper we pray thee, our brethren who labor in distant lands, Protect them in all perils; support them in loneliness and in the hour of trial; give them grace to bear faithful witness unto thee; and endue them with burning zeal and love, that they may turn many to righteousness, and finally obtain a crown of glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

World Mission Sunday will be celebrated this week across the Anglican Church in North America. It is a day when we give thanks for and pray for the further spread of the Gospel around the globe, through a special set of prayers during worship. We will also have a guest preacher with us this week, Fr. Robert Gresser and his family.

Fr. Gresser will depart in March for Malawi where he and his family will reside for several months to teach in the theological college. His focus will be training young men to readily answer the call to take leadership in the Church. We are excited to have him in our midst and to support his ministry as he goes forth. The children will have a special lesson in Sunday school about mission this week and have an opportunity to interact with his children as well!

Saint Barnabas himself was a missionary and as a part of our calling and heritage as his namesake, we will continue to emphasize and build upon local, regional and global mission. Last year we were able to support several missionaries financially, but we hope to do more this year by supporting long term missionaries, Camp Crucis, and sending agencies like SOMA, Sharing of Ministries Abroad, in addition to our ongoing efforts with Malawi and Mexico as we seek to be faithful in mission.

The local church is the engine for mission as it prays, supports, sends and receives those in mission. Whether the mission field is your neighborhood or a neighboring country, the call is the same - we are to go in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring others nearer to Christ and His Church. May God strengthen us for this work, give us willing hands and hearts, and to sustain us in the upward call of Christ Jesus in both our own lives and in supporting it in the lives of others.

Evangelism is relational

1/31/2019

When we think of evangelism we often think of knocking on doors, the ‘pitch’, or the pressure of trying to make God and His Church ‘attractive’ to someone. Yet, when we place evangelism into the context of relationships, we realize that it takes a very different shape. At times, we may be called to share with strangers, but often it is borne out among those we know and with whom we are in relationship. If we are praying for them and ourselves, as we’ve looked at in prior weeks, God goes before us. And God certainly doesn’t need to be made attractive or need to be sold! The work is His to do, but one in which we play are role.

Invitations take many forms. And knowing where and when to invite someone to engage God and His Church comes through prayer and relationship. At times Sunday morning are a good starting point. At other times the need for community is needed and an invitation to an event like Tacos and Trivia or a First Sunday may help them discover genuine sense of belonging. For others it maybe conversation, study, or service. Perhaps bringing them along to help with a ministry you are involved in at the church is a connection point.

Invitations and engagement is a must. We cannot only preach the gospel through our actions alone! However, knowing when and where to invite someone comes through discernment and prayer. And it also requires a boldness on our part! A boldness not to just make the invitation and hope for the best, but do all we can to engage them.

Perhaps you could offer to pick them up on your way to an event, ministry, or to church. Make it fun! Grab coffee for them on the way, or take them to a meal before or afterward. Invest in them and walk with them through the process. As you do so, you yourself grow, lean more fully into the Lord and learn so much in the process. May God continue to guide and direct you as you reach out to those disconnected from God and His Church! My door remains open to pray with and assist you in anyway I can as you do so.

Evangelism - prayer paves the way

1/24/2019

As we continued our evangelism series this week, we focused upon the fact that prayer paves the way. Through prayer we lift up those God has placed in our path that He desires we invest in and enroll to follow Him through Jesus Christ. Prayer itself is action, which paves the way for conversations, invitations, and interactions.

We cannot underestimate the importance bringing them before God by name and asking that they would come to know Him. I keep a prayer list of folks on my phone that prompts me with reminders. I jot down names of friends and family members, job concerns, and where they are in life to assist me in knowing how to pray into their lives.

Additionally, prayer paves the way as we seek the Lord for opportunities to engage them and their willingness, readiness, and ability to be present for such invitations and conversations. Prayer doesn’t just pave the way for them, but also for us. We ask God to give us a heart after His for the lost, for time to invest in their lives, and for wisdom and discernment in doing so.

Prayer paves the way in all things, but at times can be overlooked amidst an action oriented approach to evangelism. Yet God knows our hearts and the hearts of those in whom we will invest better than anyone. As a result, we should be quick to prayer, seeing it as the first act of evangelism. And as we do, stand ready and obedient to the Lord’s direction to faithfully point others toward Him.

The 1-1-3 Challenge - A call to evangelism

1/17/2019

Sunday we kicked off our evangelism series with the 1-1-3 Challenge. Through this practical discipleship, one person brings one person to Jesus over the next three years. We explored the reality that evangelism is both relational and takes time. After all, Jesus’ public ministry spanned three years and He enrolled, healed and reconciled lives to God often one person at a time. And as His followers, we are called to do the same as we enroll them to follow Jesus.

Doing so isn’t about gimmicks, a sales pitch, or high pressure commitment, but comes through relationship. Sometimes we are the final link in someone’s life after God has sown seeds for years, and we get to see the fruit of that work in a life that connects back to Him through Jesus and His Church. At other times, we are the one who plants seeds, or the one who waters, and we may not know what God is doing in that person’s life at the time. It is all God’s work, but it comes through our obedience to follow Him and to point others toward Him. This is the call of evangelism and lies at the heart of the 1-1-3 Challenge this year!

As it was issued last Sunday, all are challenged to begin by seeking the Lord for who He has called us to enroll in this season. You will notice a cross in the back of the church with paper, push pins, and pens to write a name, fold it up, and pin it to the cross. It will serve as a reminder to us weekly of who we bring to Jesus, as we keep the end in sight - namely bringing them to Him and not we ourselves nor some program or agenda. It stands also as a reminder of our commitment to pray for them, to engage them, and to invest in their lives over the course of this season so that we may bring them to Jesus.

I urge you to participate. And to engage in finding support, encouragement and continue in the challenge through Growth Groups. Attend to this aspect of our call to follow Jesus, which is not scary nor burdensome, but comes from a life that seeks Jesus daily and desires that others come to find the peace, wholeness and relationship we have come to find in Him. Invest in someone’s life this year and leave the results up to God!

Why was Jesus baptized and why do we celebrate His baptism this Sunday?

1/10/2019

In the early life of Church the connection was made between the Nativity, or Jesus’ birth and entrance into the world, and His baptism. The very reason for Jesus' entrance into the world was to reunite us to God. And after entering the world in silence and great humility on Christmas Day, we see even more clearly who Jesus is in the Epiphany, whereby the world (signified by the magi) come back to God in their visitation of Jesus (God incarnate). Yet, it is in the baptism of Jesus as the heavens are opened and God the Father proclaims Jesus’ divinity from heaven that His ministry becomes even clearer (see Luke 3:21-23).

Maximus of Turin, one of the Church Fathers, so marvelously noted this connection long ago,

“Today, then [in Jesus’ baptism], is another kind of birth of the Savior. We see him born with the same sort of signs, the same sort of wonders, but with greater mystery. The Holy Spirit, who was present to him then in the womb, now pours out upon him in the torrent. He who then purified Mary for him now sanctifies the running waters for him. The Father who then overshadowed in power now cries out with his voice. He who then, as if choosing the more prudent course, manifested himself as a cloud at the nativity now bears witness to the truth. So God says, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him.’ Clearly the second birth is more excellent than the first. The one brought forth Christ in silence and without a witness. The other baptized the Lord gloriously with a profession of divinity. From the one, Joseph, thought to be the father, absents himself. At the other, God the Father, not believed in, manifests himself. In the one the mother labors under suspicion because in her condition she lacked a father. In the other she is honored because God attests to his Son.”

It is in His baptism, as the heavens open and Jesus stands in the waters of the Jordan River while the Holy Spirit descends upon Him (a Trinitarian reference to the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit), that we see the whole of His ministry. Jesus would open the way to heaven to us through the waters of baptism as we are reunited to God. We, through the waters of baptism, are made adopted sons and daughters of God as the Holy Spirit then resides in us. And from this moment on, which officially begins Jesus earthly ministry, He reconciles every person that He comes in contact with back to God. Each healing, restored relationship, or deliverance points to the reconciliation Jesus extends to us all upon the cross.

So this Sunday we rejoice in an annual reminder of what Jesus stepped into the world to do. As we walk in the way of the cross and the pattern of the Church Year, we are called to renew our lives to Jesus as we do so in the renewal of our baptismal vows this Sunday. But the call, doesn’t just reside with us, but should go forth with us. But a little more about this this Sunday morning!

The celebration continues...

1/3/2019

This Sunday, January 6th, signifies the beginning of Epiphany. The date also traditionally marks the close of the Christmas season. However, its arrival serves more as a culmination of the season, rather than an ending to it. As the twelfth night of Christmas gives way to the Epiphany, or revelation of Jesus Christ, we move from celebrating the Incarnation (Jesus’ coming into the world) to celebrating his manifestation to all peoples.

Isaiah reminds us that Israel was always intended to be a light unto the nations (Is. 49:6). Through them, God’s salvation would extend to everyone. And it is upon the arrival of the three Magi, or Wise Men, emblematic of the other nations, to see Jesus, emblematic of Israel, that we see this promise fulfilled. Additionally, when they came to see Jesus they were transformed. And we are told that they left to tell others what they had seen and heard.

So, this season holds a twofold purpose for us as Christians. First, it is a yearly reminder that Jesus came to fulfill God’s purposes to save all nations and people. Secondly, we, who have been transformed by Jesus, are called to make Him known as well.

Toward that end, this season is also a particularly appropriate time for individual house blessings. Often our homes serve as the entryway to our church. Some of the most fruitful evangelism comes through the relationships made around our dinner tables, through fellowship in our living rooms, or as a result of conversations around the grill. Our homes are a place where we reach others with the love of God. And a house blessing serves to invite Christ’s presence afresh into our homes and lives, by ‘spiritually cleaning’ away the past as we seek to serve Him therein.

I am available during the month of January, and the first part of February, to come pray in and through your home. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please call the church office to set up a time for me to come by. Also, please take note of the other events this month and next that focus upon mission and evangelism during this exciting and fruitful season.

May Christ, the Son of God, be manifest in you, that your lives may be a light to the world.

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