Statement from the Meeting of St. Michael’s Seminary Curriculum Committee of the American Church

The Curriculum Committee of St. Michael’s Seminary, USA met in Olathe, Kansas October 16-17, 2008. Those in attendance were the Patriarch, Bishops Doug Kessler and Mike Davidson, Archdeacon Bill McLoughlin, Canons Mark Finley, David Almond, Robert Wills, Fr. Terry Hedrick, and Deacons John Garrett and Steve Phelps. Canon Mark Pearson was unable to attend the meeting because he is recovering from surgery.

On the first day, the Patriarch addressed the members of the committee. He commended the committee for the excellent work they have done in setting curriculum and in teaching and mentoring men around the United States and Canada. There is always need for improvement because our culture is slowly entering a post-Christian era. Our men need to be educated and prepared for the days that face us.

After discussion of the Patriarch’s comments, the committee continued with their work. At the conclusion of the two days of meeting they prepared several recommendations to the United States House of Bishops.

The are recommending that St. Michael’s be the official seminary of the Charismatic Episcopal Church in the United States and that every Diocese use the seminary for preparing men for ordination.

There was a lengthy discussion of the spiritual and moral formation of seminarians and clergy. They are recommending to the Bishops of the U.S. Church that all clergy be mandated to be involved in continuing education and spiritual direction. They are reminding the Bishops and the seminarians that St. Michael’s Seminary is contextual education and involves spiritual/moral formation, practical ministry, and academics. The committee also recommended that there be programs developed for the wives and families of clergy and those seeking ordination.

Finally the Committee recommended to the Patriarch, who is also the Primate of the United States, that the Seminary seek accreditation and that he appoint a group to research the possibility. The Patriarch responded by appointing a group to work on this process.

The Primate reappointed Bishop Doug Kessler as the Dean of the Seminary and Dn. Steve Phelps who serves at the Cathedral in Kansas City will assist him in administrative matters.

From http://www.cechome.com/?p=549

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Churches around the world will join in prayer for the millions of Christians worldwide who continue to be persecuted for their faith.
The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on 9 November is an initiative of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Commission in collaboration with ministries that support the persecuted church, including Voice of Martyrs, Open Doors and Gospel for Asia.

Global IDOP coordinator, the Rev Johan Candelin said the day of prayer said it could be the “biggest prayer group in the world”. The theme will be “Refined in Fire”.

“When the Lord's children go into the refining fire of persecution, they come out purer with deeper faith and greater strength, more Christ-focused and more unified,” said the Rev Candelin, who is also the Executive Director of the WEA’s Religious Liberty Commission.

“Those who are being persecuted can therefore be encouraged to look with hope at how they are being sanctified. And those who pray for them can be reminded to place sanctification on a higher pedestal than prosperity.”

More Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than all previous centuries combined, and persecution continues unabated into the twenty-first century. In India’s Orissa state, scores of Christians have been killed and thousands left homeless in a wave of attacks by Hindu mobs since the end of August.

“More than 200 million Christians do not have full religious freedom today,” added Candelin. “The least we can do is the most we can do: Pray.”

Specific prayer requests concerning 36 nations and 46 national leaders plus other resources for targeted praying, are available from the global IDOP website.

“IDOP is an important opportunity for the church around the world to stand in solidarity with brothers and sisters from across the globe, who are suffering as they seek to follow Christ,” said Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, the International Director of WEA.

“I urge all churches to participate in IDOP. It will be life-changing.”

On the web: www.idop.org

Blog Action Day 2008 - Poverty

Timothy Keller- "Preaching in a post-modern city", Parts 1 & 2

If you have a Google Account, you can view "Preaching in a Post-Modern City" parts one and two by Timothy Keller; by clicking on one of the following Links:

PREACHING IN A POST-MODERN CITY PART I

PREACHING IN A POST-MODERN CITY PART II

(thanks to Cn. Glenn for providing these for us, I have posted them to my 'Google Docs' account)

Pro-Life protesters Strip Searched

Alliance Defence Fund and allied attorneys filed a lawsuit last week against Harford County, the town of Bel Air, and seven police officials on behalf of three young, pro-life women.

At least a dozen police officers arrived in more than seven marked vehicles and then arrested, jailed, shackled, and/or strip searched 18 pro-life advocates, including the three women, after they held signs and shared their message along a public street.

"The state shouldn't persecute Christians for expressing their beliefs on important social issues, nor deny them their constitutional rights," said ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot.

"This incident paints an ugly picture of the state of religious freedom and free speech in America today."

"The truth of the matter is that our clients were heckled, arrested, imprisoned, shackled, and strip searched twice for exercising their First Amendment rights," said ADF-allied attorney Daniel Cox, who is serving as local counsel.

"No excuse exists for how our young clients were treated."

At least 12 police officers handcuffed 18 peaceful participants in Defend Life's "Face the Truth" Pro-life Tour on August 1 of this year and denied them a reason for their arrests. They had relocated to Bel Air after being told by officers to move from another location for not having a permit to engage in free speech activities. Three young female participants - including teenagers - were subjected to two rounds of strip searches.

The first search took place in the police station parking lot in front of other males. A female officer pulled out the young ladies' shirt collars to inspect their breasts before reaching down their pants to feel around their waistlines. The Harford County Detention Center administered the second strip search after the women were transferred there. A female officer took the women one by one into a bathroom and ordered them to lift up their shirts and brassieres.

Officials cast the pro-life participants in leg irons, denied them permission to call parents until after midnight, and did not release any of them until the following day. None were informed that attorneys Steve Peroutka and Scott Whiteman had been prohibited from having any contact with them after arriving at the station earlier that night to assist them.

On August 12, the state decided not to pursue the charges against them, which included loitering, disorderly conduct, and failure to obey a lawful order. They were never charged for a permit offence.

The complaint was filed with the US District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division. The case is styled Swagler v. Harford County.

The Thomas More Society of Chicago and the American Catholic Lawyers Association represent some of the other pro-life participants.

'Creationism in schools' call...

A leading biologist and education expert called for creationism to be included in science lessons.

The Rev Professor Michael Reiss, director of education at the Royal Society, believes banning creationism from the classroom is likely to backfire with children who hold sincere beliefs.

He wants teachers to be open to discussing creationist ideas. Some creationists reject the concept of evolution and suggest that the Earth is only 10,000 years old.

At the same time they should endeavour to explain scientific theories such as natural selection and the Big Bang.

Prof Reiss admitted he used to be "evangelical" about spreading the word of evolution when he taught biology in schools.

But he added: "I realised that simply banging on about evolution and natural selection didn't lead some pupils to change their minds at all. Now I would be more content simply for them to understand it as one way of understanding the universe."

Speaking at the British Association Festival of Science at the University of Liverpool, he said it was better for science teachers not to see creationism as a "misconception" but as a "world view".

Around 10% of British schoolchildren come from families with sincere creationist beliefs, said Prof Reiss, an ordained Church of England minister. In the US, the proportion of creationist schoolchildren was 40%.

Many of these children came from Muslim backgrounds or families with fundamental Christian views. Teachers in science lessons ought to be willing to talk about creationism if students brought the subject up, said Prof Reiss.

At the same time as making clear creationism is not accepted by the scientific community, they should convey a message of respect that does not "denigrate or ridicule" the children's beliefs

Judge rules ban on teacher’s classroom ‘God Bless America’ banners violates free speech.

A federal judge ruled on Friday that a San Diego high school teacher has a free speech right to display patriotic banners in his classroom with messages such as “God Bless America,” “In God We Trust,” and “One Nation Under God.” School officials had ordered the banners removed on the grounds they promoted a “Judeo-Christian” viewpoint.

Brad Johnson, a high school math teacher, had displayed such red, white and blue banners in his Poway Unified School District high school for twenty-five years before they were ordered removed. The school district allowed classroom displays by other teachers that included posters of Buddhist and Islamic messages, Tibetan prayer flags, and other displays.

The Ann Arbor-based Thomas More Law Center filed a federal lawsuit against the school district on Johnson’s behalf, arguing that the school district’s actions amounted to government hostility toward a specific religion. The lawsuit also alleged that the school district violated Johnson’s free speech rights by imposing a viewpoint-based restriction upon him, according to a Tuesday press release from the Thomas More Law Center.

The Poway Unified School District responded to the lawsuit with a motion seeking to dismiss the case for failure to state a claim.

Federal District Judge Robert T. Benitez ruled that the lawsuit may proceed, stating in his decision:

“Whether described as speech from a religious perspective or speech about American history and culture, through display of his classroom banners, Johnson was simply exercising his free speech rights on subjects that were otherwise permitted in the limited public forum created by Defendants and in a manner that did not cause substantial disorder in the classroom. Thus, Johnson has made out a clear claim for relief for an ongoing violation of his First Amendment free speech rights.”

Robert Muise, the Thomas More Law Center lawyer handling the case, praised the decision by saying the judge’s “strongly worded” opinion “sends a clear message to school districts across the country that hostility toward our nation’s religious heritage is contrary to our constitution.”

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel for the Law Center, added his own comments, saying “Many public schools exhibit a knee-jerk hostility towards Christianity and seek to cleanse our nation’s classrooms of our religious heritage while promoting atheism or other religions under the guise of cultural diversity.”

If the lawsuit is successful, the speech restriction will be overturned and Johnson will be allowed to display his banners.

Prayers by the Lake, by St. Nikolai of Ochrid and Zica, Prayer XXX

XXX

Blot out, O Lord, all my memories- except one. For memories make me old and feeble. Memories ruin the present day. They weigh down the present day with the past and weaken my hope in the future, for in legions they whisper in my ear: "There will only be what has already been."

But I do not wish for there to be only what has been. I do not wish and You do not wish, O Lord, for the future to be the past repeated. Let things happen that have never appeared before. The sun would not be worth much, if it only watched repetitions.

Worn paths mislead a wayfarer. Earth has walked over the earth a long time. Earthly walkways have become boring, for they have been traveled again and again from generation to generation throughout all time. Blot out, O Lord, all my memories except one.

Just one memory do I ask You not to blot out, but to strengthen in me. Do not blot out but strengthen in my con­sciousness the memory of the glory that I had when I was en­tirely with You and entirely in You, before time and temporal illusions.

When I, too, was a harmonious trinity in holy unity, just as You are from eternity to eternity.

When the soul within me was also in friendship with consciousness and life.

When my soul also was a virginal womb, and my consciousness was wisdom in virginity, and my life was spiritual power and holiness.

When I, too, was all light, and when there was no darkness within me.

When I, too, was bliss and peace, and when there were no torments of imbalance within me.

When I also knew You, even as You know me, and when I was not mingled with darkness.

When I, too, had no boundaries, no neighbors, no partitions between "me" and "you."

Do not blot out this memory, my Father, but strengthen it. Even if it reveals to me the abyss along which I am journeying in humbleness and nothingness.

Even if it separates me from friends and pleasantries, and demolishes all the barriers between Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.1

Even if it leads me outside of myself, and makes me seem mad in the eyes of my fellow wayfarers.

In truth, no companionship pleases me except Yours, and no memory pleases me except the memory of You.

O my Merciful Father, blot out all my memories except one alone.

Translated and Annotated by: Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Todor Mika, S.T.M. and Very Rev. Dr. Stevan Scott

Our Current Times...

As I was reading the news this morning I was suddenly struck with the feeling; "Will this ever get better?" I found myself despairing for the state of our world. It struck my heart and moved me to fear. Upon this I was awoken out of my sorrow to a deep comfort that warmed body, I had been cold to the touch for the past three days or so and had not realized it till now. For several moments I could not figure out where this warmth came from; then recognized it as the Peace of God.

I felt impressed to share this with you; Christ is our comforter.

In this world that is constantly being filled with foul deeds; (since the dawn of time) which is nothing new, it has just arrived to us in different packages different from the wrappings and mailing addresses of the past.

The thing that has been--it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9 AMP

-Our focus must be on Calvary, at the Cross of Christ we will find peace in a tumultuous world. Some times it is hard to tune out the corruption of the world, because we are also warned to be watchmen and to stay informed;

"Be very watchful of yourselves, therefore, to love the Lord your God." Joshua 23:11-AMP,

"And as to ourselves indeed, in under- taking this work of abridging, we have taken in hand no easy task, yea rather a business full of watching and sweat." 2 Maccabees 2:27 DRA

"He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them, to perfection." Sirach 38:31 DRA

"I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved." Habakkuk 2:1 KJV

"Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming." Matthew 24:4 MSG

And of course we all know the following

"vigilate ergo quia nescitis qua hora Dominus vester venturus sit"

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Matthew 24:42 KJV

This is not to say we should pull our hair out worrying about the state of the world but to watch or keep watch of current events and with Gods help to defend our faith (watching where we draw the line), recognizing that the God who created this world is most Sovereign Lord and will keep you in your stead.

We live in a country that has become (in the past 60 years) a bully and justified it's actions in the name of freedom and national defence; and are very likely to invade yet another sovereign country, namely Iran, under the guise of terrorism. The Russian government has vowed to "Neutralize" any missile defence by the USA placed in the Ukraine or Czech Republic. Tuberculosis and Malaria are the worlds top killers and are preventable. A new form of Dengue Fever has been found in Italy. AIDS. There are revolutions or conflicts in Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Chad & Sudan are facing off, Lebanon fights Hezbollah, Zimbabwe, Turkey and the PKK, Columbia and FARC.....

As I was reading all of these events I was overwhelmed but soon realized that God is in control and that these things may be new developments to us but it is really just a replay...

EV- 500 Apologetics- Notes

EV-500 Apologetics

-5 views on apologetics-

1) Classical Method
Builds from Creation, natural revelation, to prove Theism. Uses historical evidence to build a case for Christ/refute other regions or views- It is usually argued that the order of the two phases in classical apologetics is essential. That is, before one can meaningfully discuss historical evidences, one has to have established God's existence because one's worldview is a framework through which miracles, historical facts, and other empirical data are interpreted. Without a theistic context, no historical event could ever be shown to be a divine miracle. The flipside of this claim is that one cannot appeal to alleged miracles in order to prove God's existence.- RC Sproul

2) Evidential Method
Same as above but includes Miracles, The Supernatural, and Focuses on the Resurrection- an approach to Christian apologetics emphasizing the use of evidence to demonstrate that God probably exists. The evidence is supposed to be, evidence both the believer and nonbeliever share, that is to say you need not presuppose God's existence- Evidentialism as an apologetic method may be characterized as the ''one-step'' approach. Miracles do not presuppose God's existence (as most contemporary classical apologists assert) but can serve as one sort of evidence for God. This method is fairly eclectic in its use of various positive evidences and negative critiques, utilizing both philosophical and historical arguments. Yet it tends to focus chiefly on the legitimacy of accumulating various historical and other inductive arguments for the truth of Christianity. Josh McDowell

3) Cumulative Method or the Cumulative Case Method
Builds an overwhelming case like a lawyer, uses massive amounts of factual data to overwhelm subject with the evidence for Christ- It is an informed argument that pieces together several lines or types of data into a sort of hypothesis or theory that comprehensively explains that data. The data that the cumulative case seeks to explain include the existence and nature of the cosmos, the reality of religious experience, the objectivity of morality, and certain other historical facts, such as the resurrection of Jesus.- Basil Mitchell, C.S. Lewis and C. Stephen Evans.

4) Presuppositional Method
The mind is fallen, “The Noetic Effects of Sin” - is a school of Christian apologetics, a field of Christian theology that aims to (1) present a rational basis for the Christian faith, (2) defend the faith against objections, and (3) expose the perceived flaws of other worldviews. Due to the Noetic effects of sin, presuppositionalists usually hold that there is not enough common ground between believers and unbelievers that would allow followers of the prior three methods to accomplish their goals. The apologist must simply presuppose the truth of Christianity as the proper starting point in apologetics. Here the Christian revelation in the Scriptures is the framework through which all experience is interpreted and all truth is known. Various evidences and arguments can be advanced for the truth of Christianity, but these at least implicitly presuppose premises that can be true only if Christianity is true. Presuppositionalist attempt, then, to argue transcendentally. That is, they argue that all meaning and thought - indeed, every fact - logically presupposes the God of the Scriptures.- Francis Shaffer

5) Reformed Epistemology
People come to Christ without logic or reason- the focus will tend to be on negative or defensive apologetics as challenges to one's theistic belief are encountered. To encourage unbelievers to put themselves in situations where people are typically taken with belief in God attempting to awaken in them their latent sense of the divine. It is perfectly reasonable for a person to believe many things without evidence. Most strikingly, they argue that belief in God does not require the support of evidence or argument in order for it to be rational. The Reformed epistemology apologist will not necessarily eschew making positive arguments in defense of Christianity, but will argue that such arguments are not necessary for rational faith. If Calvin is right that human beings are born with an innate sensus divinitatis, then people may rightly and rationally come to have a belief in God immediately without the aid of evidence.

1st Peter 3:15-
vs. 15- Christ is in control, see if our hearts are right- why are you living the life you are? Treat others with respect when responding to the question. Give an intellectual reason why you follow Christ-

…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;…NASB

2nd Corinthians 10:1-
vs 1- Paul being sarcastic
vs 2- states that you may think I am timid but I will confront you
vs 3- we are two in hearts yet different in the world
vs 4- our weapons are prayer, fasting, kindness, compassion
vs 5- this Stronghold is anything that keeps us from coming to Christ, we come against the arrogance/pretention of this world and we take captive ALL thought (false views) to the obedience of Christ.

…Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…

Is it arrogant to say that Christ is the only way?

-Modern concepts-

1) Relativism-
All points of truth are and all truth is relative to the individual.
No absolute truth exists. (when you make such a claim you are also making an absolute claim that everything is relative)
It is self contradictory.
Whatever you feel is right to you- just follow your heart.
You cannot say that there is no god then make moral claims…
If Stalin felt is was right to purge Russia then it was right for him to do so, he just followed his heart.

1) Pluralism-
Sees all religions or faiths as legitimate and valid within their cultural background and tradition.
All religions say the same thing.

Differences in the major world religions/faiths-

Hinduism- god is everywhere and in everything.- Sects: Vaishnavas, Shaivites, Shaktism, Smartism, Ganapatya, Saura, Arya Samaj,The Tantric traditions. Tenets: Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha, Karma, Samsara, Yoga, Bhakti, Maya, Puja, Mandir.- Writings: Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Purana.

Buddhism- there is no god.- Sects: Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna (Early and Pre-sectarian). Tenets: Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami, Arahant.- Writings: Pali Canon, Mahayana Sutras, Tibetan Canon.

Islam- monotheistic.- Sects: Suni, Shia, and other mystic diversions. Tenets: five pillars (Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm, Hajj)- Writings: Qur'an, Sunnah, Hadith, Fiqh, Sharia, Kalam, Tasawwuf.

Judaism- monotheistic.- Sects: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Haredi, Hasidic, Modern Orthodox, Reconstroctionist, Renewal, Rabbinic, Humanistic, Karaite, Samaritanism.- Tenets: Brit-Milah, Shabbat, Torah, Temple, Feasts, Kashrut.- Writings: Torah, Tanakh, Mesorah, Targum, Midrash, Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, Mishneh, Tur, Kabbalah, Siddur, Piyyut.

Christianity- Trinitarian.- Sects: Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant (this sect has thousands of local and cultural diversions) Tenets: Ressurection, Forgiveness, Rebirth Grace. Writings: The Bible, Apocrypha, Gnostic writings.

3) Tolerance-
Behavior- Peacfully co-exsist with people who maintain other “worldviews”.
Belief- All “worldviews” and religions are equally valid or true.
There is no tolerance for prostylization; it is viewed as an infringement on others rights to believe as they wish if you were to prostylitize another to your set of beliefs or views.

(Worldview-was coined by the Third Reich, it came to designate the instinctive understanding of complex geo-political problems by the Nazis, which allowed them to openly begin invasions, twist facts or violate human rights, in the name of a higher ideal and in accordance to their theory of the world)

How do we respond to this world?

1) as a friend thru our behavior
2) as a servant in our lifestyle
3) to proclaim by persuasion not intimidation- sharing with words.

-How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent?-Romans 10