The Church of the Advent of Christ the King

Setting up for choir tomorrow. First time since March 2020!

(From October 14, 2018)
854-856 ~

Many of you know how I get a kick out of a common question I abide when people find out I’m a clergyperson. They ask, “Oh, do you have your own Church?” I say, “No. I could never afford the gas and electric. But I do serve a Christian Community as their priest.”
From the Catechism, “Who are the ministers of the Church? The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons.” Notice who is listed first? Notice who is listed second?
Priests and deacons assist the bishop and laity in building up the Church to effectively carry out her mission. In the Anglican Church, as in all Catholic Communions, the basic unit of the Church is the diocese not the local congregation.
The bishop is the chief pastor of the lay ministers in their geographical jurisdiction. One could think of the Diocese of California as a Mega-Church of about 28,000 people spread out across the Bay Area with Bishop Andrus as our Senior Pastor. Priests and Deacons are here to serve the laity in helping them accomplish the mission set out by Jesus Christ.
Again, the Catechism, “What is the mission of the Church? The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. Through whom does the Church carry out its mission? The church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.”
These are challenging times for mainline Christians. How do we maintain our mission as the culture around us continues to tune us out? The best thing we Episcopalians can do is to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest pages 854-856 of the Prayer Book Catechism.

(From October 14, 2018)
854-856 ~

Many of you know how I get a kick out of a common question I abide when people find out I’m a clergyperson. They ask, “Oh, do you have your own Church?” I say, “No. I could never afford the gas and electric. But I do serve a Christian Community as their priest.”
From the Catechism, “Who are the ministers of the Church? The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons.” Notice who is listed first? Notice who is listed second?
Priests and deacons assist the bishop and laity in building up the Church to effectively carry out her mission. In the Anglican Church, as in all Catholic Communions, the basic unit of the Church is the diocese not the local congregation.
The bishop is the chief pastor of the lay ministers in their geographical jurisdiction. One could think of the Diocese of California as a Mega-Church of about 28,000 people spread out across the Bay Area with Bishop Andrus as our Senior Pastor. Priests and Deacons are here to serve the laity in helping them accomplish the mission set out by Jesus Christ.
Again, the Catechism, “What is the mission of the Church? The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. Through whom does the Church carry out its mission? The church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.”
These are challenging times for mainline Christians. How do we maintain our mission as the culture around us continues to tune us out? The best thing we Episcopalians can do is to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest pages 854-856 of the Prayer Book Catechism.

October 6: William Tyndale
Roses are still here & so are we!
Evening Prayer tonight at 6pm

October 6: William Tyndale
Roses are still here & so are we!
Evening Prayer tonight at 6pm

October 4: St Francis of Assisi
Evening Prayer 6pm
Low Mass 6.30pm
All are welcome (masks required)

October 4: St Francis of Assisi
Evening Prayer 6pm
Low Mass 6.30pm
All are welcome (masks required)

(From October 7, 2018)
Episcopalian Matters~

I could have joined any Christian tradition or another religion. In my family we’ve had or have Roman Catholics, Baptists, Muslims, Evangelicals, those following Traditional Cree ways, and Reorganized Latter Day Saints. My best friend during childhood was a Jehovah’s Witness.
I chose the Episcopal Church. It is where I found the way to become who God was calling me to be: a priest in a sacramental Church with bishops.
We often hear this philosophy, “It doesn’t matter what your religion/denomination is, it’s all the same God.” I understand that this is a statement of tolerance, but in my development as a human being it has mattered tremendously for me to be a Christian in the Episcopal Tradition. This way of being Christian with its blend of Catholic and Reformed theological grounding reveals the truth of God in Christ to me.
I hope that being Episcopalians matters this much for all of us. If we are Episcopalian because we like the worship style or because we are forever restating politically correct stances, if those are the only things that matter, then the very thing we love is in trouble. Those are not profound reasons that will ground us in things eternal. They are momentary and will not endure.
The enduring reasons to be Episcopalian are found in The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral 1886, 1888. Listed in this statement are the four pillars of the Catholic Faith: 1. The Holy Scriptures as the revealed Word of God. 2. The Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian Faith. 3. Baptism and Eucharist as the central sacraments ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him. 4. The Historic Episcopate (Bishops in Apostolic Succession). (Book of Common Prayer, pp. 876-77)
These are the reasons I am an Episcopalian. These are the pillars on which we live, move and have our being. All else is embellishment at best and distraction at worst.

(From October 7, 2018)
Episcopalian Matters~

I could have joined any Christian tradition or another religion. In my family we’ve had or have Roman Catholics, Baptists, Muslims, Evangelicals, those following Traditional Cree ways, and Reorganized Latter Day Saints. My best friend during childhood was a Jehovah’s Witness.
I chose the Episcopal Church. It is where I found the way to become who God was calling me to be: a priest in a sacramental Church with bishops.
We often hear this philosophy, “It doesn’t matter what your religion/denomination is, it’s all the same God.” I understand that this is a statement of tolerance, but in my development as a human being it has mattered tremendously for me to be a Christian in the Episcopal Tradition. This way of being Christian with its blend of Catholic and Reformed theological grounding reveals the truth of God in Christ to me.
I hope that being Episcopalians matters this much for all of us. If we are Episcopalian because we like the worship style or because we are forever restating politically correct stances, if those are the only things that matter, then the very thing we love is in trouble. Those are not profound reasons that will ground us in things eternal. They are momentary and will not endure.
The enduring reasons to be Episcopalian are found in The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral 1886, 1888. Listed in this statement are the four pillars of the Catholic Faith: 1. The Holy Scriptures as the revealed Word of God. 2. The Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian Faith. 3. Baptism and Eucharist as the central sacraments ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him. 4. The Historic Episcopate (Bishops in Apostolic Succession). (Book of Common Prayer, pp. 876-77)
These are the reasons I am an Episcopalian. These are the pillars on which we live, move and have our being. All else is embellishment at best and distraction at worst.

[10/02/21]   October 1:
We regret that there will be no Evening Prayer offered today.

September 30: St Jerome
Evening Prayer 6pm
Low Mass 6.30pm
All are welcome (masks required)

September 30: St Jerome
Evening Prayer 6pm
Low Mass 6.30pm
All are welcome (masks required)

September 29:
St Michael & All Angels
Low Mass: 8am & 12 noon
Evening Prayer 6pm
All are welcome (masks required)

September 29:
St Michael & All Angels
Low Mass: 8am & 12 noon
Evening Prayer 6pm
All are welcome (masks required)

Holy Perfection ~

In Matthew chapter five, Jesus calls us to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This echoes the charge from Leviticus 19 when the LORD says to the people Israel, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” How is it that we become perfect and holy?
We cannot make ourselves holy or perfect but Christ can. Being perfected in Christ is quite different than being perfect in our own eyes or in the opinion of others.
Our perfection in Christ began at our baptism. We became part of a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar and ground of truth as the Church is defined in Holy Scripture. (Book of Common Prayer, p.854)
The human race was offered perfection and holiness when our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead. This is the Good News.
Understanding how to become perfect and holy is not complicated. We find instruction in our Baptismal Covenant. We affirm the Creeds of the Church. We continue in the Apostle’s teaching and fellowship, the prayers and the breaking of bread. We persevere in resisting evil, and when we fall into sin we repent and return to the Lord. We proclaim in our words and deeds the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We seek and serve Christ in all persons. We strive for peace and justice. We respect the dignity of every human being.
These instructions are not hard to understand but often hard to do. Much of it is not how our world seems to work. This is why Christianity is counter cultural. This is why we promise to do it all with God’s help. God will perfect us as we endeavor to live holy lives by living daily the vows we made and often renew in our Covenant with God through Christ.

Holy Perfection ~

In Matthew chapter five, Jesus calls us to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This echoes the charge from Leviticus 19 when the LORD says to the people Israel, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” How is it that we become perfect and holy?
We cannot make ourselves holy or perfect but Christ can. Being perfected in Christ is quite different than being perfect in our own eyes or in the opinion of others.
Our perfection in Christ began at our baptism. We became part of a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar and ground of truth as the Church is defined in Holy Scripture. (Book of Common Prayer, p.854)
The human race was offered perfection and holiness when our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead. This is the Good News.
Understanding how to become perfect and holy is not complicated. We find instruction in our Baptismal Covenant. We affirm the Creeds of the Church. We continue in the Apostle’s teaching and fellowship, the prayers and the breaking of bread. We persevere in resisting evil, and when we fall into sin we repent and return to the Lord. We proclaim in our words and deeds the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We seek and serve Christ in all persons. We strive for peace and justice. We respect the dignity of every human being.
These instructions are not hard to understand but often hard to do. Much of it is not how our world seems to work. This is why Christianity is counter cultural. This is why we promise to do it all with God’s help. God will perfect us as we endeavor to live holy lives by living daily the vows we made and often renew in our Covenant with God through Christ.

September 24: Our Lady of Walsingham
Mass at 12 noon
All are welcome (masks required)
Photo: Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, UK

September 24: Our Lady of Walsingham
Mass at 12 noon
All are welcome (masks required)
Photo: Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, UK

Evening Prayer, 6pm
Low Mass, 6.30pm
All are welcome! (masks required)

Evening Prayer, 6pm
Low Mass, 6.30pm
All are welcome! (masks required)

Really Present ~

“Are you really listening to me? Are you really present?”

It can be hard to be present to others when we have ten other things on our mind or when we are formulating our response as we are listening. Sometimes it is difficult to be present to ourselves. We do not always pay attention to our own needs and reactions. It is not always easy for us to be present to God. So many things draw us away from prayer, worship and community.
God is always present to us. God is never distracted because God is pure being. God is especially present to us in the Bread of Life, Our Lord Jesus Christ. God gives himself to us body, soul and divinity in the Blessed Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. God gives himself to us through The Word Made Flesh in the Holy Scriptures, especially in the Holy Gospels.
Yes, we can talk to God in the woods, at the beach, or on the golf course but to come into his presence through Word and Sacrament within a Christian community gives meaning and order to our spiritual lives. When we join other disciples in community we are challenged to go deeper in our relationship with Christ. Living in Christian Community has many challenges and many rewards. It draws us out of ourselves toward our Lord and Savior.
Just as we encounter God in Word and Sacrament, we encounter God in each other as we endeavor to live out our Ministry of Reconciliation.
This happens in person, in email, texting and online gatherings. We are connected to God through each other. Let us pray this week for the wisdom and patience to be truly present to God, to ourselves and to each other as God is to each of us in Jesus Christ.

Really Present ~

“Are you really listening to me? Are you really present?”

It can be hard to be present to others when we have ten other things on our mind or when we are formulating our response as we are listening. Sometimes it is difficult to be present to ourselves. We do not always pay attention to our own needs and reactions. It is not always easy for us to be present to God. So many things draw us away from prayer, worship and community.
God is always present to us. God is never distracted because God is pure being. God is especially present to us in the Bread of Life, Our Lord Jesus Christ. God gives himself to us body, soul and divinity in the Blessed Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. God gives himself to us through The Word Made Flesh in the Holy Scriptures, especially in the Holy Gospels.
Yes, we can talk to God in the woods, at the beach, or on the golf course but to come into his presence through Word and Sacrament within a Christian community gives meaning and order to our spiritual lives. When we join other disciples in community we are challenged to go deeper in our relationship with Christ. Living in Christian Community has many challenges and many rewards. It draws us out of ourselves toward our Lord and Savior.
Just as we encounter God in Word and Sacrament, we encounter God in each other as we endeavor to live out our Ministry of Reconciliation.
This happens in person, in email, texting and online gatherings. We are connected to God through each other. Let us pray this week for the wisdom and patience to be truly present to God, to ourselves and to each other as God is to each of us in Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, September 14: Holy Cross Day
Evensong, 6:00 pm
Low Mass with a capella hymnody & Veneration of the Relic of the True Cross,
6:30 pm
In-person only; masks required; all welcome!

Tuesday, September 14: Holy Cross Day
Evensong, 6:00 pm
Low Mass with a capella hymnody & Veneration of the Relic of the True Cross,
6:30 pm
In-person only; masks required; all welcome!

Religious ~

I once saw a bumper sticker that read, “Jesus called. He wants his religion back.”
For many “religion” has become synonymous with ignorance, intolerance, extremism, and hypocrisy. In our culture we prefer the term “spirituality.” Spirituality sounds so free of rules and regulations.
Some of the most whole people I’ve known have been very religious. It was a community of monks, talk about religious, who reintroduced me to Christ which changed my life. It was some of my most religious relatives that showed me the way to peace and wholeness.
It’s true, religion can make people pretty ugly but more often I have seen it make people holy.
To be religious is to live by a Rule of Life. We find our Rule in the Book of Common Prayer. Religion is the way we order our spiritual lives. We make covenants with God and each other. To be religious is to hold our spiritual lives accountable to something beyond ourselves.
Jesus was very religious. He regularly went to synagogue. He observed the Holy Days. He came from a religious family. And, yet, Jesus challenged his religion. Just like religious people in all of history, the people Jesus lived with were practicing their religion but many of them had lost sight of its meaning. They were focused on the habits of religion instead of where it was all pointing. Like the prophets before him, Jesus sought to put religion back into the people’s hearts.
If our religion isn’t making us peaceful and wise people, then something is not connecting. It is not the fault of our religion. We need a re-boot in our hearts and minds.

Religious ~

I once saw a bumper sticker that read, “Jesus called. He wants his religion back.”
For many “religion” has become synonymous with ignorance, intolerance, extremism, and hypocrisy. In our culture we prefer the term “spirituality.” Spirituality sounds so free of rules and regulations.
Some of the most whole people I’ve known have been very religious. It was a community of monks, talk about religious, who reintroduced me to Christ which changed my life. It was some of my most religious relatives that showed me the way to peace and wholeness.
It’s true, religion can make people pretty ugly but more often I have seen it make people holy.
To be religious is to live by a Rule of Life. We find our Rule in the Book of Common Prayer. Religion is the way we order our spiritual lives. We make covenants with God and each other. To be religious is to hold our spiritual lives accountable to something beyond ourselves.
Jesus was very religious. He regularly went to synagogue. He observed the Holy Days. He came from a religious family. And, yet, Jesus challenged his religion. Just like religious people in all of history, the people Jesus lived with were practicing their religion but many of them had lost sight of its meaning. They were focused on the habits of religion instead of where it was all pointing. Like the prophets before him, Jesus sought to put religion back into the people’s hearts.
If our religion isn’t making us peaceful and wise people, then something is not connecting. It is not the fault of our religion. We need a re-boot in our hearts and minds.