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Sunday, February 02, 2025

PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE commonly called THE PURIFICATION OF THE B.V.M. 2025

For the video with the Collect, the two appointed readings, and the Sermon preached on Sunday, February 2, 2025 at Saint Benedict's Anglican Catholic Church, you may use the link below.


If you would contribute to the ongoing ministry of this church, we thank you; and you may use this link for your convenience.

Saturday, February 01, 2025

Slander

Over many years, especially writing for Touchstone Magazine, I established my credentials as the most widely read cultural conservative in the entire Continuing Church. But we live in a time when the standard for Conservatism is slavishly loyal obedience to one very unworthy, dishonest, and dangerous megalomaniac. I have dared to criticize the spectacle of clergy who publicly defend everything from anti-democratic power grabbing to literal atrocities. I have refused to bear false witness against specific politicians, because I will not pass on lies even against people with whom I strongly disagree. 

I am also very much aware of what our historical reputation can do either to or for people in the future who will need to look back on a Christian witness. What will they see? When we look back in history we can, for example, at least bring up the Christian Abolitionists during the era of slavery in America and Britain. Even Germans can look to those who resisted, such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer. How will history judge your witness in the age of Trump?

Nonetheless, anyone has read my articles and calls me Leftwing is either a liar or a functional illiterate. I am simply not radically Rightwing. Too many people today conflate Rightwing extremism, and I mean the lunatic fringe, with Conservatism. 

Friday, January 31, 2025

PART 17 GOSPEL OF JOHN

In this video Dr. Kevin Hart expounds on John 6:35-59


The Bread of Life discourse.

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Reply to the false claim that Paul “invented” Christianity


I completely disagree with that very modern and very western perspective. It comes from reading Paul through an Augustinian and Latinized lens. But if you read Paul as the Greek Fathers read him, and if you look at the most ancient writings that name him, as well as Peter and James and John, all as influences on the same men, such as Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna, you will see that the Apostles, including Paul, all shared a common message. If you read him as Origen read him, or Gregory of Nyssa, with the mystical eastern theology of the Orthodox Church, you will quickly change your mind, and see that Paul was simply faithful to the teaching and mission of Jesus. 

Also, and for example, we learn from a careful and scholarly reading of I Corinthians chapter seven, that Paul adhered to a basic knowledge of a Quelle that circulated so widely that those reading and hearing his letter knew the teachings of Jesus from a source other than Paul.

In the book of Acts eight complete chapters go by before the conversion of Saint Paul. What we learn from chapter 8, is that an entire system of evangelism and entrance into the fellowship of the church had already been established before Paul became part of the church. Philip preached Christ to the Samaritans in the eighth chapter. The obvious meaning is that the message was already something that was uniform among all of those who preached the gospel. Furthermore, we see that initiation into the Church required baptism, and the sacrament we call Confirmation, that is the apostles Peter and John coming from Jerusalem to lay hands on the Samaritan converts so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. In speaking with the Ethiopian in the second part of that chapter, Philip used the Suffering Servant passage, Isaiah chapter 53, to present the Gospel in terms of Christ, dying as the atonement for our sins, and rising again, all of which has to be what he drew out of that chapter when speaking to the Ethiopian and answering his question.  

All of this was firmly established while Paul was still known as Saul, the persecutor of the disciples, that is of the Christians. No, Paul did not “invent”any of it. 

Sunday, January 26, 2025

THIRD SUNDAY after the EPIPHANY 2025

You may use the link below for the Collect, Readings, 
and Sermon for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany 2025.




You may use the link below to support the 
ongoing ministry of this parish church.



Sunday, January 19, 2025