Guest Blogger - About Ash Wednesday 2018

About Ash Wednesday 2018

Father Curt Norman 

My mind is swirling a million-miles-an-hour as I prepare for worship this morning. It keeps taking me back to Ash Wednesday, one of the most important days in the Church year. And a horrible one this year in the United States of America.

There was a respectful conversation on my Facebook timeline. Not surprising, since I have lots of friends capable of civil discourse. I expressed misgivings about the Church offering the imposition of ashes with what I consider to be convenience, although it is impossible for me to know how each congregation views the practice; it would be dangerous for me to make a broad statement. Thus, I speak only from personal experience.

I do not know how many news articles came across my feed with headlines of clergy taking ashes into the community for persons who “do not have time” to go to services. In the same breath would be mentioned taking ashes to persons who, for physical reasons, are not able to get to worship. The two scenarios are not the same.

On Wednesday afternoon, news broke of yet another mass shooting at an American school. Let the script begin: many leaders in mainline Protestantism began to call on federal lawmakers to make difficult choices so that something like Parkland, Florida does not happen again. Given the political allegiances of many lawmakers, it would require them to make decisions which would be for them politically… wait for it… inconvenient.

Here is where I see a problem. How can the Church call on our nation’s leaders to do what is right (even when it is inconvenient) when we do not practice inconvenience ourselves?

Following Jesus is not convenient.

I understand the good desire to “tear down walls” to bring God to the people. But, in my humble estimation, walls can be torn down only when we raise the bar, not lower it.

Watch Out!

[Many] Signs and [we] Wonder[s]

History is replete

With signs of human bondage;

And when we sleep

We miss layers foretold along the deep sondage.

They never go away,

Those arms ready to snare

Our children at innocent play

From their God-given parental care.

Take for example

The father-daughter dance

Canceled, as the apple-elite trampled

Tradition with their new, imposed parlance.

Recall the German leader

Back in the nineteen thirties

Who divined himself a human breeder

Of children; cunning, inventive, like Hermes?

Still asleep, are we?

They replaced 'he' and 'she' for 'it'.

By their decree we should not see,

But deny and be correctly and politically fit.

Take, for example that church

Surrounding our National city;

The Almighty they besmirch

And downgrade Him by committee.

Remember also Romanian rule

Transferring the young to the State

Giving their potentate a pool

Of children to manipulate?

Do we not yet know

What the winds of social change have already done?

Will we continue to let it blow

Through civilization numbing everyone?

Watch out!

Published Titles by Archdeacon Books

ARCHDEACON BOOKS 
has published thirteen titles since 2014 and 

will release three new titles in 2018.

TRIGON’S VIEW (2018), Evan Prickett & Rick Chambers

ZIPP: The Life of H.H. “Zipp” Newman (2018), Frances “Bee” Newman Morris

KENYA JOURNAL (2018), Dennis & Donna Read

EXPLORING SPIRITUAL GIFTS (2017), Mark Allen Quay

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN ALPHABET (2017), Jenny N. Sullivan

VERSED BOOKENDS (2017), Worth E. Norman, Jr.

THE END OF ORPHAN CARE (2016), Samuel J. McLure

THE HERESY OF HAM (2016), Joel Edmund Anderson

PRAYING THROUGH THE PSALMS (2016), Mark Allen Quay

THE EVOLUTION OF DECISION MAKING (2016), Jacques Austin

PATHWAYS TO JESUS (2015), William Wilson

KAIROS PRISON MINISTRY (2015), Ken Dawson

FROM MY FATHER’S HOUSE (2015) Jenny N. Sullivan

WILLIAM JELKS CABANISS, JR. (2014), Worth E. Norman, Jr.

ALABAMA TIMELINES: AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS (2014) Worth E. Norman, Jr.

ALABAMA TIMELINES: THOSE REPUBLICANS (2014), Worth E. Norman, Jr.

Remembering D. Bruce MacPherson

D. Bruce MacPherson

1940 - 2017

To him everyone was a friend,

Someone to help if in need,

A broken heart to help mend.

A godly man, indeed.

His caring for others never ceased.

His love of God – his fortress, his border –

Called him to become a priest,

And defender of the faith in the episcopal order.

A sudden fall changed things

Late in life for this obedient servant.

It was as if he lost his wings,

His evangel voice so fervent.

No. His Father wanted him home

To live under His eternal dome.

Worth Earlwood "Woody" Norman Jr

Archdeacon

Special Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy

Anglican Church in North America

D. Bruce MacPherson - The Living Church

Juan Williams Ups U.S. Constitution over God

The Fox News Channel show, The Five, on November 15, 2017 opened with the Alabama Roy Moore story. Why not? Almost fifty percent of the show focused on this story.

But what was interesting to me was an all-so-brief comment (hopefully a slip-of-the-tongue) by co-host Juan Williams, a Democrat and an Episcopalian. If I had not been listening closely I would have missed it.

At about the 15 minute mark Williams said:

"... You apparently have, according to the polls, ... a very close race [in Alabama] in which Evangelicals in the state really like Roy Moore and the fact that he [Roy Moore] puts God above all, including our [United States] Constitution, which rankles me ..."

To be rankled means to be annoyed or to be resentful. 

Really? Is Juan Williams's Christian faith subservient to the United States Constitution? For him, it sounded so.

This statement by Mr. Williams is a perfect example of how "mainstream" American Christianity has descended to, and has become beholden to, secularism. Mainstream Christianity strives to become relevant to society instead of being the life-giving counter-culture.

Who would believe, for example, that "Christian" clergy would celebrate abortion clinics? Last week several did so. There are clergy who suggest and preach that abortion is a "gift from God." What an abomination!

Christ is life, not death.

The large cultural problem is that well-meaning church-goers are not thinking about their actions and/or do not know the Gospel. The secular environment will always win out when Christians dilute their faith intentionally (called Christian Progressivism), or by outright ignorance of the Gospel.

The United States of America was/is a gift from God, but our nation is being abused by direct attack from progressives, and from Christian ignorance and compliance to the forces of secularism.

I pray that Juan Williams misspoke.


WENjr 16Nov2017

The Alabama Political Conundrum

The Alabama Political Conundrum

(Actually, there is no conundrum)

Subject Person

          Former Chief Justice of Alabama Roy Moore

          Republican Candidate for the United States Senate

What Do We Know?

·        Anything can happen, politically, between today and December 12, 2017 (special election day in Alabama)

·        Allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Moore

·        The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives has affirmed the credibility of the allegations against Moore

·        The Major Leader of the United States Senate has declared Moore unfit to serve in the United States Senate

o   If Moore is elected, the Majority Leader says expulsion from the United States Senate will be a priority

·        Republican Candidate Roy Moore has not been convicted of sexual misconduct in a court of law

o   This does not matter within America’s reigning plausibility structure

Alabama Democratic Voters

·        Will vote for their candidate for the United States Senate on December 12, 2017

·        Will stick together

·        Are a minority in the Alabama electorate

Alabama Republican Voters

·        Would be wrong to avoid voting on December 12, 2017

·        Would be wrong to “write in” another Republican name on December 12, 2017

·        Should vote for the Republican candidate regardless of prevailing circumstances

Alabama Independent Voters

·        Will vote how they feel/believe on December 12, 2017

·        Are an unknown quantifiable voting block currently

The Significant Differences Between Alabama’s Political Parties

·        Republicans are the majority party

·        Democrats are the minority party

·        Republican Party is generally pro-life

·        Democrat Party endorses

o   Abortion

o   Multi-gender identities

o   Other progressive social movements (socialism, et al)

Knowing All of the Above

·        Republican voters in Alabama can elect the Democratic candidate by

o   Staying away from the polls on December 12, 2017 or by

o   Writing in another Republican name on the ballot

Summary

·        The Majority Leader of the Senate of the United States has already stated that he would expel an unfit member

o   The Majortity Leader of the Senate of the United States is a Republican

·        The Governor of the State of Alabama is a Republican

·        The Alabama Statehouse is Republican-dominated

·        If Alabama Republicans should vote Republican on December 12, 2017, then under most scenarios a Republican Senator from Alabama, and not a Democrat, would continue to hold that seat.

Disclaimer: I am not a Democrat

WENjr 15Nov2017

Remembrance

Anamnesis

(Remembrance)

Eat this

And drink this, too.

I am true bliss.

I love you.

Do you recall

Who I am?

My love never small,

I am love. I, the Lamb.

My Father knows you.

He promised after the flood

That all He slew

Be redeemed by the Blood.

Remember me and 

Know I have always remembered you.

I know every grain of sand,

And everyone through and through.

Come to me

All you who fear.

Come and see

How my love is so near.

So, drink this cup.

Swallow Me all.

My body in you, sup.

Our love. We entrall.