MAC KIRK

Lessons and Carols Meditation DEC 27 Today we have listened to the Lessons and Carols , some have read, all have sung, and done what was done first in 1918 by English parishes and now done all over the world . Chaplain Eric Milner-White , and a priest in the Church of England wrote this service after WWI . After the bleakness and despair of that war a note of hope and joy as well as God's grace sounded in the ears of those who came reverently and expectantly to hear . This reminded me of another time when God spoke after a silence of many centuries. After the last prophet, Malachi, there were many years of no revelation. God was not speaking as He did in time past. When the Angel Gabriel came to Zacharias on the right hand of the altar of incense, it is said by Luke, " And when Zacharias saw him he was troubled, and fear fell upon him." Luke 1:11 What was the first word from heaven?" Fear not..." " I am Gabriel , that stand in the presence of God ...

Christmas EVE 2015 " O Virgin of Virgins, how shall this be? for neither before thee was any like thee, nor shall there be after. Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me? the thing which ye behold is a divine mystery." Slipper Chapel, England. Our Lady Statue inscription A CHRISTMAS QUESTION a Child is born. A Son is Given. Isaiah 9" a Child"- a real human person with thoughts, emotion , and pain , just as you and I ----really human a Son- Jesus Christ, God's eternal Son, " begotten of His Father from before all worlds, begotten----not made, being of the same substance with the Father." 1. Is it so? Yes, the child was born in our world and in our history. But is the child born to us? ----is He our Saviour? If so---that the Child wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem's manger is born to you, then you are born from above, born again. FOR THIS CHILD IS NOT BORN TO YOU, UNLESS YOU ARE BORN TO THIS CHILD. How can we know??? a...

Advent IV . Philippians 4 Have you been anxious about anything lately? Do you feel peaceful? Or are you being torn apart by things, people and events? What is disturbing your peace? How can you recover your Christian assurance and peace in this life and for the life to come? Is the Christmas hustle and bustle getting you in the fast lane? What I like about the church's observance of Advent is that it is a slowing down and a renewal of our vows, our faith, and our lives should be in harmony with His will and His Spirit instead of ...well you can fill in the blank! Interesting , and I think I may have touched on this issue last year since it is the same Epistle , but the background of Rejoice, the peace of God which passes all understanding, and do not be anxious ( be careful for nothing in the KJV) is a situation in the church at Philippi. We can see it in 4:2 where Paul says, " I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord...

What is the spirit of Advent? Advent III-I Thessalonians 5:12-23 I think we know the spirit of Christmas about the birth of Jesus and His glory in the manger, but what is the spirit of Advent? Advent in the Roman tradition , four weeks , was not always penitential. The Gallic Church had a nine week Advent , more penitential, and eventually we now have penitential but it is a " joyful of preparation for the Feast of the Lord's Nativity."p. 49 Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, FR Francis Weiser. The third Sunday, Gaudete , " bears a special character of joy." p. 52,Handbook In Advent, the Gloria is omitted, and in Morning/Evening Prayer we say the Litany. Today we look at an alternate Epistle reading for today Sunday Advent III from I Thessalonians. What are some of the special characteristics of a time of preparation for our Lord's birth? In Friday's morning prayer we heard the Gospel of Mark 4:24 , " unto you that hear shall more b...

How Should We Begin a New Church Year of Advent? Luke 1:5-25 Today's Gospel that we will consider is about Zacharias , Elisabeth and the birth of a child, that was unexpected. (John the Baptist) " And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren." 1:7 Not only that but they were both quite old. " well stricken in years. This account today is for us as we contemplate the spiritual lives we sometimes feel that we are going through the motions. In the silence of our meditation, God does hear and know, and He acts. I Corinthians 2:9 came to my mind, " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." God wishes our silence and our trust. I like this:" We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they mov...

Christ the King Sunday---2015 The question we are dealing with this week is " if Christ is our King, then why is the world the way it is?" Christians live in the world now, and we wonder if Christ rules and defends us, why does it seem that the world is so difficult to live in with its tragedies, disappointments, and difficulties? I would say our understanding is quite limited and therein lies our problem. No , we are not God, but somehow we try to be little gods, and our thinking therefore is human, and not divine. " For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part...." I Corinthians 13:12 Q: How doth Christ execute the office of a king? ---Scots Catechism ( Westminster) A: Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself,1 in ruling and defending us,2 and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.3 1. Psalm 110:3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness...

Malachi ---a message for all for pre-Advent Malachi opens his book with a rather remarkable statement that should guide as well in all of our lives. " I have loved you,saith the LORD." The temple had been rebuilt in the time of Nehemiah ( rebuilt the wall), Haggai and Zechariah ( rebuilt the temple) , and now the people were ignoring the worship and service of God after being back from Bablyon for a hundred years. The same failures and sins were still a problem for the people. They were intermarrying pagan women Malachi 2:11; they were not putting the temple as a priority and holding back the tithe from the House of God, Malachi 3:8-10; the services in the Lord's House were only a form and lacked true devotion. " It is possible to attend the temple, bend the knee,and make an offering regularly, but unless there is love in the heart there is no communion with God. To go to the temple merely as a matter of duty is to blaspheme." Living Message of the Books ...