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Church of the Nativity |
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In Lent we have come through a period of
study and evaluation of ourselves as Christians and as Episcopalians. Central to this
study has been the beliefs of our church, the liturgy and the creeds, the sacraments and
the traditions. All are important to our past, and we are enjoined to remember that we are
called to be disposed in our minds to Jesus Christ. To follow our Lord’s example is
our priceless heritage. This inward disposition will direct us, even when we are not aware
of the direction to go. What a supreme example He is! The Palm
Sunday Epistle gets right to the heart of the meaning of the Epistle to the Philippians:
Look to Jesus, our leader and example. This Jesus, God the Son, takes on servanthood, the
lowliest job on earth. Jesus, the humble, obedient spirit descended so that we might
experience with Him the glories of God. He abdicated his position and became one of us in
order to relieve us of the burden of sin. This obedience is so severe that our Lord
even suffered the shame of the cross, the humiliation of defeat. He surrendered all to the
will of God. This is the sacrifice that is so amazing to us, that He would deliberately
choose to suffer and die for us. In Holy Week we follow the steps of Jesus
as He faces his accusers, and triumphs in the face of impossible odds. This week He starts
in glory, descends to the very depth of human pain and suffering, and emerges victorious.
God exalted him and bestowed upon him the name which is above all others. This is
the name we praise and revere. We pledge ourselves to be in His name. When this
occurs we become Christ’s own, yielded and secure in Him. Let us walk with the Lord as he goes from
Jerusalem to Golgotha, to the tomb, to the resurrection. Only as we walk with Him can we
truly appreciate the hardship He endured. As we walk with Him we see why He deserves our
constant praise. This week calls for a deliberate disavowal
of self, so the days to follow are thereby significant as we re-enact the joy and mystery
of the Easter experience. Gerry+ See Father Gerry's previous columns:
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