The Telegraph: Bishop of Durham Justin Welby to be Archbishop of Canterbury

Sources have confirmed that the Eton-educated bishop will be announced as successor to Dr Rowan Williams as early as Friday, after the Crown Nominations Commission put his name forward to Downing Street.

It marks a meteoric rise for the former oil executive who has been a bishop for only a year, but insiders described Welby as “the outstanding candidate”.

Read it all.

Timothy Dalrymple: Mourning in America

Pretty much sums up how I am feeling today, and not just about the results of the presidential election. Mourning for my country. Hence, now is the best time to keep reminding myself that Jesus is Lord.

There are some potential positives, and I’ll come to those in a later post.  But I’m afraid the reelection of Barack Obama will mean continued economic stagnation, continued high unemployment, a continuing weakening of the dollar, and a continued wrong-headed refusal to responsibly extract our natural energy resources.  And don’t kid yourself: when the economy suffers, the poor and the vulnerable suffer the worst of it.  I’m afraid his reelection will mean four more years of a weak and adrift foreign policy, inviting the continued re/growth of anti-American terrorism in places like Afghanistan and Libya, Syria and Iran.  I’m afraid it means less protections for religious conscience and less support for the fundamental family structure,  I’m certain that it means a strengthening of the abortion regime, including the appointment of liberal justices to the Supreme Court and liberal judges to other federal positions.  I’m certain that it means that all the worst, most economy-killing aspects of Obamacare, which were shrewdly scheduled for after the election, will be enacted and ensconced in our system of government, and that the health care most Americans receive will grow worse.  And I’m certain it means an even greater national debt burden — meaning that I and my children will work to fill the coffers of the Chinese communist party.

So I mourn for our country’s future, but I also mourn because I believe she has lost her way.

Read it all.

A Prayer for Election Day

Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States, as well as our state and communities, in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Albert Mohler: A Prayer for America on Election Day

A good and thoughtful piece from Dr. Mohler. Check it out and see what you think.

There is so much at stake.  We hear every election cycle that the stakes have never been higher. In one sense, this is usually also true.  There is always the sense that there is more at stake this year than last, and, given the way issues unfold, that perception often seems validated by the times.

Christians face the responsibility to vote, not only as citizens, but as Christians who seek to honor and follow Christ in all things.  But, beyond the vote, we also bear responsibility to pray for our nation.

Read it all (and don’t forget to vote).

Fox News: Nor’easter on Track to Hit Weather-Beaten New York, New Jersey

Oh my. Pray that the forecasters are wrong.

Just what New York and New Jersey need after the devastation of Superstorm Sandy: more high winds.

The National Weather Service predicted Sunday that a Nor’easter that could include gusts of up to 55 mph is likely to reach the area by Wednesday and could compound the havoc brought by last week’s violent weather.

“Prepare for more outages,” advised weather service meteorologist Joe Pollina. “Stay indoors. Stock up again.”

Read it all.

Scot McKnight: Misreading the Bible Because we are Westerners

A good and thoughtful blog post by Dr. McKnight. See what you think.

What many of us have come to realize that we get in the way at times when we are reading the Bible. That we impose, many times unintentionally and unconsciously, our world on the Bible and need to work at hearing the Bible in terms of the ancient world.

Mosey on over to Scot’s Jesus Creed blog and check it out. How are you misreading the Bible (or are you reading it at all because you misperceive it)?

Columbus Dispatch: E-Excuses: The New Rude

Couldn’t agree more. See what you think.

Texting and instant messaging allow folks to navigate their social lives more easily, but they also create ill-mannered flakes.

Not long ago, the only way to break a social engagement, beyond abandoning someone, was to do so in person or by phone.An effusive apology — or at least the appearance of contrition — was expected.

These days, when fingers tap the way out of social obligations, the barriers to a cancellation are lowered.

And why worry about advance notice? The later, the better.After all, giving up on dinner through a text message doesn’t seem as disrespectful — or as embarrassing — as standing up someone.

“Texting is lazy, and it encourages and promotes flakiness,” Cohen said. “You’re not treating anything with any weight, and it turns us all into 14-year-olds.”

Read it all.

For All the Saints: Dying to Bring Honor and Glory to the Lord

Sermon delivered on All Saints Sunday, November 4, 2012, at St. Augustine’s Anglican Church, Columbus, OH.

Lectionary texts: Isaiah 25.6-9; Psalm 24.1-10; Revelation 21.1-6; John 11.32-44.

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today is All Saints Sunday, where we celebrate the communion of saints, living and dead. Since our readings come mostly from standard funeral readings, and since today is a most appropriate time to remind ourselves of the hope and future that awaits every saint who dies in Christ, I want to do two things. First, I want to remind us exactly what is the Christian hope and promise about our future. Second, because in the past 50 years or so, the mainline churches have so badly failed to inform their people about the hows and whys of Christian funerals, I want to apply our Christian hope to funerals. How we Christians bury our dead can serve as a lasting testimony to the love of God and the hope and promise of new creation that is ours in Jesus.

Death, of course, is a universal experience. There is not an adult in this room who has not been touched by death and it is a dreadful thing because death is permanent, at least as it pertains to this mortal life of ours, and it can cause us to grieve without either hope or the means of consolation. As Genesis 3.15-19 reminds us, when human sin entered God’s good creation, it got us kicked out of paradise and resulted in God’s curse on humans and his creation alike. Death is the ultimate evil and remains a poke in God’s eye because God did not create us to curse us and make us die. God created us for relationship, both with God and each other, and to have life. And so when we read the Bible as Christians we need to always remember that we are reading the story of how God has chosen to redeem and restore his good but fallen creation that has been marred by human sin and rebellion.

And as all of our readings today remind us in one way or another, God has promised not only to rescue us from sin and death through Jesus the Messiah, he has also promised to put his good creation to rights once again. Our OT lesson contains a vivid picture rich with new creation imagery. God promises to abolish death forever and in doing so, to wipe away the tears of his people. Not only will death be abolished, so will all the hurts and heartaches that bedevil God’s people. The prophet does not tell us how God will do this (Scripture rarely supplies those kinds of details), only that it will be done. This raises an interesting issue for us because many Christians wrongly believe that when they die they are headed for an eternal home in heaven as a disembodied spirit. But if that is true, then death still remains because God created us body and soul, not just soul (this notion of an eternal soul comes from Plato, not the Bible). Even if we remain in heaven for all eternity, our bodies are still dead. Hence, death has not been entirely abolished and God’s promise would remain unfulfilled. But God’s promises are always fulfilled and this alerts us to the hope and promise contained in our epistle lesson.

In Revelation we read the breathtaking promise of new creation and we finally see where the entire biblical story has been headed all along. John is given a spectacular vision of the new heavens and new earth. Pay attention to that. It is a vision not only about the new heavens but also the new earth, God’s promised new creation. The first thing we notice is the direction of the movement of the New Jerusalem, NT code for God’s dwelling place. You recall that the ancient Jews believed that God took up an earthly dwelling place among his people in his Temple and that Christians believed the Temple had become redundant because Jesus was now the person to whom people would come to meet with God (cf. John 2.19ff; Colossians 2.9-10). Now here we see God coming down from heaven to dwell with his people. We aren’t going up to heaven to be with God (so much for the Left Behind series), God is coming down to earth to dwell with us.

In other words, John is telling us that one day the dimensions of heaven and earth are going to be fused together in a new creation. Unlike now, when heaven (God’s space) and earth (human space) are interlocking but separate, in the new creation heaven and earth will be fused together and God’s people will get to live directly in God’s glorious Presence, completely healed and redeemed. Is there any wonder why there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain? How can death exist in the direct Presence of the Source of life himself? How can there be mourning when what was previously separated is reunited again, and this time forever? Here we see the fulfillment of God’ promise to us through the prophet Isaiah. Death has been abolished and all sin and evil eradicated forever because now God is living directly with his people. With evil and death abolished, how can there be any room for crying or pain? No, here we see God being true and faithful to his creatures and creation. God could have chosen to destroy his old creation and start all over. But God didn’t do that. Instead, God has promised to rescue us through Jesus the Messiah. To be certain, there will be radically different and new things in God’s new creation. To start with, death will be no more. But there will also be continuity because we will be living in God’s redeemed and recreated world, the new heavens and new earth.

But how can that be? How can our mortal bodies live in God’s new creation? The answer is they can’t. That’s why Paul told the Corinthians (and us) that flesh and blood cannot inherit the new creation, not because God hates flesh and blood or that our mortal bodies are somehow inferior to our spirit, but because flesh and blood are mortal and when the new creation comes, what is mortal will be swallowed up in immortality (cf. 1 Corinthians 15.35-55). And that is why there must be a resurrection of the dead and that is why we must turn to Jesus.

In our gospel lesson we see Jesus resuscitating Lazarus. Let’s be clear about this. Lazarus was not resurrected from the dead because his mortal body remained mortal and it eventually died again, this time permanently. But that is not what John wants us to see. Early in the story, Martha had come to meet Jesus and had lamented the fact that Jesus had not come earlier so that he could have saved Lazarus. In response, Jesus tells her the most remarkable thing. He tells Martha that her brother will be raised from the dead and that he (Jesus) is the resurrection and the life (cf. John 11.17-27). Jesus is telling us that he is embodying God’s future new creation and has brought it back to the present to give us a preview of coming attractions. Yes, he resuscitated Lazarus from the dead. But John also wants us to see that in this episode, we are getting a glimpse of things to come in Jesus’ own resurrection, when his mortal body was transformed and death no longer had any power over him. And it will be the same for all who follow Jesus. No other religion promises this and no other religion has delivered like Jesus has for us. In Jesus’ resurrection, we have a preview and promise of new creation that is ours through faith in him. It is an absolutely stunning and breathtaking promise. Do you believe this? If you don’t, you are robbing yourself of real hope, both for yourself and your loved ones who have died in Christ. If you do believe this, are you acting like you do?

Before we turn to the matter of Christian funerals, I would be remiss if I didn’t answer the question, “So where are our loved ones now who have died in Christ?” The NT writers do not have much to say about what happens to us from the time we die until the Second Coming of Jesus that will consummate God’s new creation, but there are a few hints that can give us a partial answer. Our loved ones are with Jesus. Call it heaven if you like, but they are with Jesus in God’s space and they are conscious. We know this, in part, based on what Paul, Luke, and John tell us. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells of his desire to die so that he can be with Jesus, but that his work on earth is not quite finished (Philippians 1.23-25). And in Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells the repentant criminal that, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23.43). From this we can conclude that when those in Christ die, they get to go and be with their Lord immediately and will be with him when he comes again in great power and glory to finish his redemptive work (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4.14; Matthew 25.31-46). In John’s vision in Revelation, we see the martyrs crying out and asking how long until God’s good judgment restores righteousness and justice on earth. We also see the great multitude giving praise to Jesus for making it possible for them to stand in God’s Presence (Revelation 6.9-11; 7.9-17). From this, we can conclude that our saints who have died are conscious because the multitude appears to know and appreciate all that God has done and will do for them. Exactly how spirits can be clothed in white robes reminds us that these visions are powerful symbols that point to something far better than we can hope or imagine. This isn’t the new creation, but rather a scene from God’s space that gives us insight into the Christian’s interim state between death and the full inauguration of God’s new creation.

This then is our hope and future as Christians. If we understand this, we are in a position to understand and appreciate what Christian funerals are all about. First, they are not about us or how swell we were when we were alive (there’s a place for that in Christian funerals and it’s traditionally been called the wake, which occurs prior to the funeral). Funerals are designed in word and symbol to remind us of all that God has done for us in Christ and the hope of new creation that is ours because of God’s great love for us manifested in Christ’s blood shed for us (which itself offers a compelling reason to celebrate the Eucharist at funerals). Paul tells us this explicitly in Romans 8.1-4 where he states boldly that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, because in his death God has condemned sin in the flesh so that he would not have to condemn those of us who believe. This statement of faith should set the tone for the entire funeral. To be sure, we are to grieve, but as ones who have hope (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4.13).

In addition to appropriate Scripture selection and preaching, there are all kinds of symbols in a Christian funeral to remind us of our hope in Jesus. We typically put a pall over the casket or urn to remind us of our baptism in which we share in Christ’s death. This reminds us that because we are buried with Christ, we will be raised with him to new life in his new creation (cf. Romans 6.3-5, 8). What better symbol to cover our mortal remains than a shroud that represents Christ and his death and resurrection? Then there is the paschal candle, the visible symbol of the pillars of cloud and fire that represented God’s Presence with his people as they wandered in the wilderness. The paschal candle reminds us that even in death, we are not outside of God’s Presence or beyond his love. Again, both these symbols remind us that it is about what God has done for us in Jesus. There is real comfort in our grief to be had from all this.

And of course, if we really believe in the resurrection of the body, there will be a body (in some form) at the funeral because it is there we commend the mortal remains of our loved ones back to God, who created our bodies in the first place and who promises to redeem our mortal bodies when Jesus comes again to usher in God’s new creation in full. Hear me clearly. I am not against cremation as long as the cremains are buried intact. This is not about whether God can reconstitute scattered ashes. Of course God can. It’s about making a bold albeit silent testimony for all time that we believe in the resurrection of the body. In days long past, western Christians would try to bury their dead facing the east because they believed that when Jesus returned, he would come from the east because that was where the New Jerusalem would be. The point is, as Christians, we believe our mortal bodies have a future and we should therefore act like we do, as much for the world as for ourselves. Having the mortal remains of our loved ones buried in one place will also help us in our grief because there is something comforting in being able to visit the place where our loved ones’ remains are resting and awaiting their final redemption.

Now if you are someone who has not buried your dead in Christ in this fashion, please do not hear this as implicit criticism. As I said at the beginning of the sermon, in the past 50 years or so, the mainline churches have failed miserably to teach their people about the hows and whys of Christian funerals. If you don’t believe me, pay close attention the next time you are at a Christian funeral and see if the hope of resurrection and new creation are the focus of the symbols and preaching. Pay close attention to whether the deceased or Jesus is the focus. Of course, if we are to have real hope, the focus must be on Jesus and be consistent with the hope that is given us in the whole of Scripture, especially the NT. To settle for anything less is ultimately bound to fail us because the dead cannot raise themselves. Only God can raise the dead and call into being things that were not (Romans 4.17).

Death is an awful and painful thing. But take heart and hope. God is greater than death and has promised to redeem his children. We have a glorious future awaiting us and have God’s very word on it. If your heart and faith are not fired and lifted up by the hope of new creation, it is surely because I have done an inadequate job in articulating it. In a few minutes we will be reading the Roll Call of the Victorious. As you listen to your loved ones’ name(s), reflect on what we’ve just said about resurrection and new creation and imagine them with Jesus right now awaiting their glorious destiny. As you do, you will realize that your loved ones join you in knowing what it means to have Good News, now and for all eternity.

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Richard Hooker, Anglican Divine

About Richard Hooker.

On any list of great English theologians, the name of Richard Hooker would appear at or near the top. His masterpiece is The Laws Of Ecclesiastical Polity. Its philosophical base is Aristotelian, with a strong emphasis on natural law eternally planted by God in creation. On this foundation, all positive laws of Church and State are developed from Scriptural revelation, ancient tradition, reason, and experience.

Read it all.

God of peace, the bond of all love, who in your Son Jesus Christ have made the human race your inseparable dwelling place: after the example of your servant Richard Hooker, give grace to us your servants ever to rejoice in the true inheritance of your adopted children and to show forth your praises now and ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.