Hear the messages that Father Jeremiah delivers each week
to the congregation of Grace Anglican.
When Jesus encounters the results of chaos from the inside of us, what does he do? Does he scoff or ignore it? Or does he act against it in order to bring to us inward and outward healing? Father Jeremiah looks at Mark 5 and a story with two healings dealing with chaos from the inside.
Image: The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus, Eduard Bendemann, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Raising_of_the_Daughter_of_Jairus_MET_DP803683.jpg
Jesus calms the storm and casts out a legion of demons in our Gospel lesson today. How do these reveal the power of Jesus over creation and his power over the chaos that has invaded creation? Father Jeremiah shows us that there is more that a mere calming of the storm and casting out of demons in his sermon from Sunday.
Image: Christus bedaart de storm, by James Ensor, Public Domain (no changes made). Image location: https://www.muzee.be/nl/collectie-1/christus-bedaart-de-storm-1
Jesus told many parables to the people. In these two parables he speaks of seeds growing and birds finding homes amongst the mustard plant. What does this mean about the kingdom? How do we participate in this if God is the one who causes the growth? Father Jeremiah helps us to see the glory of God’s work and us being part of the work.
Image: Image from page 65 of "Birds through an opera-glass" (1898), Public Domain. Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14568983987/in/photostream/
How is Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath? What does this mean for our pursuit of sabbath? Fr. John takes us through the Mark 2:23-28 and connects to our other readings from the day.
Image: La Sieste, Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
On Trinity Sunday, Jonathan Wells, a member of Grace Anglican, gave us a teaching on the Trinity as revealed throughout Scripture and the importance of how God has revealed himself to our salvation.
Image: Holy Trinity, picture by Lawrence OP. License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED Image Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/3600731119
The Spirit’s coming was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promises to his disciples and a fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy. His work sets believers in Jesus apart from the world and changes them from the inside out. He unites us to one another and to Jesus himself that we might know the redemption that has been accomplished for us.
Image: Descent of the Holy Spirit, by Paul Gustave Dore’s for La Grande Bible de Tours. Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons. For more info on this and other illustrations see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Dor%C3%A9%27s_illustrations_for_La_Grande_Bible_de_Tours#The_New_Testament Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Bible_panorama,_or_The_Holy_Scriptures_in_picture_and_story_(1891)_(14598407958).jpg
Jesus spent time in deep prayer for his disciples and all those who will come to believe in Christ through their word. What does this prayer reveal to us about he work of Jesus after his ascension? We see through his words that he knew he would ascend and that he would continue to present us to the Father that we might be washed and sanctified in the truth of God.
Image: The Ascension of Christ, Pietro Perugino, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
As Jesus continued to teach the disciples on the night he was betrayed, he told them to abide in his love that he had from them that flowed out of the love of the Father for himself. When we do this, we will discover that we want to keep his commandments and when we keep his commandments, we discover that we are more deeply abiding in his love.
Image: Patchy Grass by Andrew. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED, no changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nez/2428875105/in/photostream/.
Jesus tells us that if we love him, we will keep his commandments. What are we to make of this statement of his? Does it mean that our salvation is because of our good deeds? Or are these words his way of showing us how to realign and calibrate our lives to the salvation we have received by faith? Father Jeremiah helps us understand Jesus’ calling today.
Image: By Tobias Aeppli. Free to use. image location: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-compass-in-forest-1125272/
Jesus calls himself the good shepherd. What kind of claim is this? How does he reflect an earthly shepherd and how does he surpass that to be something greater by the same name?
Image: The Parable of the Good Shepherd, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public Domain. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Parable_of_the_Good_Shepherd_MET_DP818250.jpg
Jesus’ body was transformed through His resurrection and he appeared to his disciples in that glorified physical body. We too will be transformed in the final resurrection because Jesus has gone ahead of us. In the here and now, though, we have new life in us that also comes through Jesus’ resurrection to us that we might be made ready for the final resurrection ahead of us.
Image: The Risen Christ appears to his Apostles, photo taken by Lawrence OP. License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed (no changes made). Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/49780661251.
Jesus appeared to his disciples multiple times after his resurrection. In the first appearance, they were not sure what to think save for the peace given to them by him and revelation of the scars upon body. After this he gives to them the Holy Spirit that they might be sent out in faith to make forgiveness known through Jesus.
Image: St Thomas touches the Risen Lord, picture taken by Lawrence OP. License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (no changes made). Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/14036502503/in/photostream/
Jesus’ death and resurrection is God’s way of swallowing up death and removing the veil of it from over the people. His resurrection is the acceptance of his sacrifice that brings forgiveness and rejoicing to all people. Find out more from Father Jeremiah now.
The Death of Jesus was a fulfilling of God the Father’s covenant faithfulness. He had promised Abraham that all the people’s of the earth would be blessed through him and it is through Jesus’ death that that blessing comes. God completes his promise and we are given the gift of life as God’s people.
Image: The Crucifixion by Pietro Lorenzetti. Public Domain. Image location: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438605
Image: The Last Supper of Jesus Christ, by Roman Zacharij, licensed under CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, no changes made. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Last_Supper.JPG
When Jesus entered Jerusalem upon the back of a donkey, the people cried out “Hosanna!” What was the meaning of this cry and what do we realize about it today? Father Jeremiah brings forward the impact of this entrance with palms and how it reveals the reality of the work of Jesus for us.
Image: Palm Sunday Icon, Picture taken by Ted. Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED, no changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/frted/12801075263
Jesus spoke of a grain of wheat that must die to bring forth a harvest. Jesus himself is that grain of wheat, and yet, we too are grains of wheat that have come from Jesus falling into the earth and dying. We too must continually die to ourselves in order to bring forth the harvest that God the Father desires.
Image: The Veteran in a New Field, by Winslow Homer. Public Domain. Image Location: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11145
The destruction of the Temple by Babylon and the exile of God’s people was a devastating moment. Yet, God remained faithful to bring them back and re-establish them. After this return, God continued to fulfill his promises by sending the Messiah to make his people his new Temple that we might carry God with us throughout to the ends of the earth.
Image: Christ Feeds the 5000, photo by LawrenceOP, Detail from a medieval stained glass window in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. No Changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/7667661950
When Jesus cleansed the Temple, he was pointing toward himself as the true and pure Temple. We, as his people through faith and baptism, are also the Temple which needs continual cleansing because of our sinfulness. Father Jeremiah explains this and how it affects out lives day in and day out.
Image: Theodoor Rombouts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Theodoor_Rombouts_-_Christ_Driving_the_Money-changers_from_the_Temple.jpg
As Jesus begins teaching his disciples directly about his crucifixion, St. Peter rebukes Jesus for thinking that the Messiah must suffer. However, Jesus turns the tables on St. Peter and points out to him and all that we all must suffer and die in light of his own death and resurrection. Through this, we come to know more deeply the love of Christ for us.
Image: The Crucifixion, unknown artist, public domain, from the J. Paul Getty Museum. Image location: https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/107TX5#full-artwork-details
Grace Anglican Church, Sundays @ 10 AM, 800 Robinson Rd, Gastonia, NC
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 551081, Gastonia, NC 28054
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