St. Aidan's Anglican Church, Kansas City - weekly talks

The risen Lord points to the Scriptures and their fulfillment as the basis of his redemptive mission, the Word made flesh, living among us, gathering a flock, equipped and headed towards Jerusalem where he would be crucified and raised on the third day as the first fruits among the dead. The Scriptures (OT is what's being addressed in Luke 24), point to and speak of Christ. And as the source of inspiration, they contain Christ.

"If Christ is genuinely present in the Old Testament, then believers--who are "in Christ" -- are as well. Because believers are "in Christ," when they locate his real presence in the Old Testament, they also find their own lives and realities reflected there" p. XV, Hans Boersma's Scripture as Real Presence: Sacramental Exegesis in the Early Church.

It is He who causes our hearts to burn and opens our minds to understand, to feed, to inwardly digest the Holy Scriptures.

John 20:19f describes an unannounced appearance of the risen Lord behind closed doors. Jesus appears to announce Shalom with evidence from his victory over Satan, Sin and Death, his battle scars. The men in the room turn from deep fear and failure to joy at the presence of Jesus. He breaths new creation life, his breath, upon them and send them out to forgive and retain sins.

Thomas is also given a special appearance and resolves his doubts in his amazing confession, "My Lord and My God."

An amazing Vigil with ten baptisms ... Deacon Joey Odell reads the Easter Homily of St. John Chrysostom, our annual tradition at the Vigil.

Deacon Joey's unbaptized children were all baptized, representing the beauty of household baptism. Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Undoing Of Death - Good Friday 2018 - Fr. Michael Flowers by St. Aidan's Anglican Church, KC

In disrobing and taking the place of a servant, in the washing of feet, Jesus illustrates his divine descent, as the Divine Logos taking on human flesh. The washing speaks of the cleansing work of redemption through the work of the God-Man who became a servant to redeem the cosmos. As he puts on his outer garments and takes his place, Jesus illustrates his great glorification in the resurrection and ascension. Afterwards, he asks the question, "Do you know what I have done TO you?"

The Holy Triduum is the seamless sequence of our whole redemption. Let us contemplate the mystery of the washing of the water of the Word.

Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Preface of Holy Week:

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. For our sins he was lifted high upon the cross, that he might draw the whole world to himself; and, by his suffering and death, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who put their trust in him.

The Collect of the Day:

Fifth Sunday in Lent

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Gospel

John 12:20-33

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say — 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

John chapter six tells the story of the feeding of the five thousand which runs into Jesus walking upon the Sea after which he teaches his most shocking words on the Holy Eucharist - unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.

This chapter reframes the movement of the ancient Passover, the Exodus, the passing from death to life, through the waters of the sea. He takes us and blesses us and breaks us open to give for the life of the world. He calls us to share the real bread that comes down from heaven, Jesus Christ, the Lord of Creation. Contemplate the way of the Lord: Take, Bless, Break and Give.

On the Third Sunday of Lent, we received 45 new members into St. Aidan's. The homily describes the various levels of congregational relationship based on the three different means of unity ... Baptismal, Eucharistic and Episcopal.

Our aim is to bring new comers from baptismal and eucharistic unity into Episcopal unity under the oversight and care of our Bishop, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, and to worship in the Great Tradition of the Church, rooted in the Church’s historic liturgy, the holy Scriptures proclaimed, and the Sacraments faithfully administered, so that we may be ever renewed by the truth of the Apostolic Faith.

Every first Sunday of Lent, we follow Christ from Baptism into the Wilderness, a time of testing to overcome Satan, for us and for our salvation. As we enter this season of Lent, may we appropriate the grace of our own baptism, aligning our hearts and minds with the voice of the Father's love, the Spirit's anointing and an open heaven to overcome the sins that so easily beset us.

Following the homily, we celebrate the baptism of two beloved daughters of Christ. They, too, enter into the Lent in the same manner Christ entered the wilderness, as co-heirs with Jesus, anointed with the Holy Spirit.

In preparation for the Great Easter season, may the Holy Spirit lead us all into a time of renewal and overcoming, through the grace of Jesus.

Blessings,

Fr. Michael