In the Epistle reading from the Daily Office, Paul gives a concise summary of the faith that he handed on to the Corinthians, a “creed”:
Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas [Peter], then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe. (1 Cor. 15: 1-11).
“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.” That pretty much says it all in a nutshell. Paul wants the Corinthians, and us, to hold on to that faith, to make it their own, our own. Paul knew that he was saved by God’s grace. As he says, he persecuted those who believe in Jesus, but after Paul encountered the forgiveness of the Risen Christ, he was transformed and lived into his call to be an Apostle.
The faith that we share was handed down to you and to me by others, others whose lives were transformed by Jesus. Now it is our turn to pass along the Good News of Jesus, to tell others, as Paul did, that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.”
Let us pray: Everliving God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
WE HAVE MADE OUR CONTRIBUTION TO NETSFORLIFE! Thank you to everyone who worked to reach this goal. You have helped to make a difference in the lives of people remembering that Jesus called us to love one another as He has loved us.
CALENDAR REMINDERS & UPCOMING EVENTS
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY: Sundays at 4:00 p.m. in Sutton Hall. Please join Jillian Bain for this prayerful study of Scripture.
THE FISH FRY: Saturday, 5 November 2011, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (proceeds for Church renovation/maintenance), and we are raffling a 32 inch flat screen TV (for the victims of the wildfires in Texas).
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST especially for everyone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, all parishes with search committees as they seek new rectors, for all of those suffering from the wildfires, and in thanksgiving for all that God has done for us.
“Let us, therefore, forsake the vanity of the crowd and their false teachings, and turn back to the word delivered to us from the beginning.” — St. Polycarp of Smyrna (69 – 155)
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas [Peter], then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe. (1 Cor. 15: 1-11).
“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.” That pretty much says it all in a nutshell. Paul wants the Corinthians, and us, to hold on to that faith, to make it their own, our own. Paul knew that he was saved by God’s grace. As he says, he persecuted those who believe in Jesus, but after Paul encountered the forgiveness of the Risen Christ, he was transformed and lived into his call to be an Apostle.
The faith that we share was handed down to you and to me by others, others whose lives were transformed by Jesus. Now it is our turn to pass along the Good News of Jesus, to tell others, as Paul did, that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.”
Let us pray: Everliving God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
WE HAVE MADE OUR CONTRIBUTION TO NETSFORLIFE! Thank you to everyone who worked to reach this goal. You have helped to make a difference in the lives of people remembering that Jesus called us to love one another as He has loved us.
CALENDAR REMINDERS & UPCOMING EVENTS
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY: Sundays at 4:00 p.m. in Sutton Hall. Please join Jillian Bain for this prayerful study of Scripture.
THE FISH FRY: Saturday, 5 November 2011, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (proceeds for Church renovation/maintenance), and we are raffling a 32 inch flat screen TV (for the victims of the wildfires in Texas).
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST especially for everyone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, all parishes with search committees as they seek new rectors, for all of those suffering from the wildfires, and in thanksgiving for all that God has done for us.
“Let us, therefore, forsake the vanity of the crowd and their false teachings, and turn back to the word delivered to us from the beginning.” — St. Polycarp of Smyrna (69 – 155)
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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