Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of January, 2009

Martyrdom: The Cost of Faith

Father Robert Lyons, OP

As we celebrate the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, we might not stop to think about his demise. The same goes for our consideration of other biblical and historical Christian figures, including Saint Timothy, the Patron of our Synod. We often consider their life and their journey to faith. And yet, at the same time, by failing to consider their end, we do ourselves a disservice, for the end of the Christian life is death, and every Christian life will be required to pay a price. That price, to one extent or another, is martyrdom.

When I was in the process of discerning a call to the priesthood, a seminarian-friend of mine called me one day and told me that I needed to ask myself if I was confusing the call to holiness with a call to a vocation. (The fact that I am writing this shows you what my answer was...) My friend was right about one thing: we all have a call to holiness. However, the call to holiness is not the same as our call to martyrdom - though our call to martyrdom is nourished by our call to holiness.

Martyrdom, however, does not have to mean being murdered on account of your faith. In fact, in the case of most Christians throughout history, it has been manifest in the continual death to self that holiness demands of us. In our marriages, our ministries, our work, and our worship, we are called to die a little bit each day so that, in eternity, we can live in the fullness of life that God has set forth for you and for me.

May God give us the grace to embrace our own martyrdom, just as Paul and Timothy did, and as we do, may we find grace and peace through Christ whose life was sacrificed as a ransom for many.

Reflection for the Third Sunday of January, 2009

Finding Meaning in the Depths of Obscurity

Father Robert Lyons, OP

Last week, during a celebration of the Divine Liturgy, one of the appointed readings focused on Abram rescuing Lot (see Genesis 13:1 - 14:16) after Lot and he selected lands to dwell in.  Genesis 14, in particular, is one of those long, droning, boring passages that almost nobody really pays attention to in any depth... especially during a liturgical celebration.  As the lector was proclaiming the reading, I could see people loosing interest.  Long, complicated names; cities long forgotten... what possible interest or relavance could this have to us today.

Plenty.

Genesis 13 sets the stage by illustrating the circumstances that led to the parting of Abram and Lot.  Conflicts and disputes were creeping into the relationship of uncle and nephew as their flocks continued to overlap one another.  One could identify many reasons for their parting, but Lot and Abram - regardless of the reason that they could not resolve their conflict while remaining on the same land - elected to part.  Lot left for 'greener pastures' but was in for a rude awakening.  As many of us know all to well, the grass is not always (figuratively) greener on the other side of the hill (even if it is factually so!).  Lot and his fellows tramped right into a cesspool of immorality, violence, and (as their fortunes would have it) war.  We don't know how long Lot spent in the vicinity of the Cities of the Plain before the various and sundry attacks of the first portion of Genesis 14 got started.  But when they did, Lot eventually found himself in the way and conquered.  In spite of their split, Lot must have remained in contact (somehow) with Abram, for when he was captured and haluled away, an escaped servant of Lot's house made his way to Abram's camp - where Abram proceeded to raise an army and rescue his nephew and all that was his.

How often do we allow family squabbles to come between us?  How often do we find our hurt feelings or bruised egos to be reason enough to cut our families off?  Abram could have easily proclaimed "Lot got what was coming to him" and been done with it, but he chose not to do so.  For Abram, blood was thicker than anything... and so important to him that he was willing to risk his own saftey, and that of his warriors, to liberate his nephew from slavery or death.

Certainly, if we are asked to deny God in order to remain a part of a family unit, we must choose God; but when family conflict gets out of control, we have the example of Abram and Lot to remind us that family ties need to be as open as possible... and that communication and the continual work of building a relationship with members of our families is an important way that we can witness to God's work in our life.

In the same way, we are reminded one again that Abram/Abraham is, in many ways, the most magnificant Old Testament 'type' of God the Father.  While most of us are more flamiliar with Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac (see Genesis 22) as a foreshadowing of Christ's redemptive sacrifice, we often forget this small example of Abram not sparing any expense or effort in order to liberate his kinsman.  Because we are created in God's image and likeness, we are his kind - though our kinship has been rent asunder by our sinful nature.  But, because the Father has left open the lines of communication between himself and us, and has perfected that communication through the life and ministry of his Son, we can be assured that, like Lot, God stands ready to rescue us when we call out to him for salvation.

May Abram's rescue of Lot take root within you this day as an example of finding meaning in the depths of obscurity; and when you are confronted with the internal query 'why bother to read this passage?', consider that some of the greatest treasures are often found in the unlikeliest of places.

Synod News for the Second Sunday of January, 2009

On Saturday, January 10, two clerics of the Synod of Saint Timothy embarked on a new spiritual journey together as they became the first two members of the Order of Preachers of the Primitive Faith, a Dominican Brotherhood within the Synod.

Father Robert Lyons was assigned as the Prior of the community by Bishop Charles Huckaby, and, after making his vows to the Bishop, recieved the vows of Deacon Greg Elsbernd of Cincinnati, Ohio during a celebration of Evening Prayer.

The Dominican model was chosen for the Order because of the tradition, begun by Saint Dominic nearly a thousand years ago, of training effective, life-changing preachers who could journey out into the world, sharing the message of Jesus Christ through inspiring sermons and involvement in the community at large.

Please keep Father Lyons and Deacon Elsbernd in your prayers in the next few months as the new Dominican Order within our Synod begins to develop roots and find its unique role within the life of the Synod and the entire Church Catholic.

Reflection for the First Sunday of January, 2009

Bishop Chuck Huckaby

What Do The Twelve Days Of Christmas Mean?

Instead of being a “nonsense song”, the Twelve Days of Christmas is a love song about God’s gifts of grace to every Christian. That’s why each stanza starts by describing God as “My True Love…”

1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)

2. Two Turtle Doves The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

3. Three French Hens The Three Theological Virtues:  1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

4. Four Calling Birds The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

5. Five Gold Rings the first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch:  1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

6. Six Geese A-laying The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

7. Seven Swans A-swimming The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Originally these referred to the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Isaiah 11:2-3: 1) Wisdom 2) Knowledge 3) Judgement 4) Courage 5) Understanding 6) Piety 7) Fear of the Lord. These were specifically sought through prayer and the laying on of hands at ceremonies we would regard as the Public Profession of Faith of a child baptized in infancy and when people reaffirm their faith. In the modern era, evangelicals tend to equate these with the NT “gift lists”. 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11) Both lists relate to the Christian’s maturing in faith  with the latter focusing on how the Spirit enables the Body of Christ to relate to itself.

8. Eight Maids A-milking The eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

9. Nine Ladies Dancing The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness, 6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control.  (Galatians 5:22)

10. Ten Lords A-leaping The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17)

11. Eleven Pipers Piping The eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James.  (Luke 6:14-16).  The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders and the Romans.

12. Twelve Drummers Drumming The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the holy catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting. 

How Should We Celebrate The Twelve Days of Christmas? 

*People are fond of saying that “Christianity’s not just about head knowledge!” That’s true enough. But Christianity’s not about ignorance either, especially when it comes to the Christian Faith. So memorize what the 12 Days of Christmas mean --- you’ll not only amaze your friends – you’ll know more about Christianity than most of the people who chatter about being Christians and then go out and live like the Devil. 

*More importantly than amazing your friends, the most important part to learn about this “catechism song” is that we personally receive the Gift of God in Jesus Christ as our dearest possession for which we would sacrifice anything because it comes from our heavenly Father.

Jesus said “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind” Matt 22.  Do we? 

Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of December, 2008

Today we bring you the first in a series of three reflections by Bishop Huckaby on the Christian Meaning of "The Twelve Days of Christmas".  

The Twelve Days of Christmas:

How Much Christ Do We Have In Christmas?

It’s that time of year again - when pagans shout and scream because there is any reference to Jesus Christ the Only Name under heaven whereby we may be saved.

    And it’s also the time of year when Christians complain about there

    not being ENOUGH “Christ is Christmas”.

As Christian culture in America is lost, we lament about how little “Christ” there is “in Christmas” but how much of Jesus did we have in our Christmas anyway? 

Often, it wasn’t that much. We were secular people following a secular calendar and thoughts of Jesus were allowed to intrude from time to time on Sundays which we used to call the “Sabbath” or the “Lord’s Day” and occasionally in the year at Christmas which was just one day and, still in Tennessee at least, on Good Friday. 

But this was not always so. As Christianity became the foundation of society wherever it went, the calendar became shaped by observances designed to keep us every mindful of Jesus Christ and the Redemption He brought into the world.  

Just as the season of Advent is a time of preparing ourselves to celebrate the coming of Jesus, in the Christian calendar – for hundreds of years – the time between December 25^th and January 6^th have been the 12 Days of Christmas, a celebration of the significance of Christ’s coming followed by another celebration … variously recognized as “Epiphany” for the revelation of God’s Savior to the Gentile “Three Kings of the Orient” and the “Circumcision of Christ” Our Lord’s first bloodletting for our salvation.

You see, our ancestors were people who realized that the unique thing about Christianity is that it is God’s unfolding revelation of Himself in history… it’s not a fairy tale, it’s not a preference, it’s not an opinion any more than a dump truck smashing into your living room is a mere opinion! The Good News of Christ’s coming is a fact to be reckoned with – the merciful invasion of heaven into History in the coming of our Lord! 

The song the “Twelve Days of Christmas” is usually only sung these days as a fun Christmas “nonsense” song. But however it evolved, it seems to have originally been a “Catechism Song” to remind us of the many gifts given us thanks to the coming of Jesus Christ the Lord. 

Do you know it’s Christian meaning? It will help you definitely put Christ in Christmas if you recall these divine gifts during these 12 days of Christmas!