tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post588135287573554939..comments2023-11-02T10:50:42.128-05:00Comments on CLOSED: Under the anger, there's grief. Above all, there's Jesus.TLF+http://www.blogger.com/profile/01650010433581488888noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post-46327772668986538782008-09-27T18:04:00.000-05:002008-09-27T18:04:00.000-05:00Thanks Tim There's is a place waiting for you in ...Thanks Tim <BR/><BR/>There's is a place waiting for you in the Diocese of Pittsburgh !!!<BR/><BR/>YBIC<BR/><BR/>David Wilson+The Rev Canon Dr David Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09878281384587956210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post-10199442703765911612008-09-24T21:53:00.000-05:002008-09-24T21:53:00.000-05:00Fr. Tim, God bless you! Thanks for listening to th...Fr. Tim, God bless you! Thanks for listening to the Holy Spirit. I printed this off for my rector. I suspect he'll be able to relate and hopefully, it will be helpful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post-188162736514968362008-09-24T19:26:00.000-05:002008-09-24T19:26:00.000-05:00Thanks for your candor, Fr. Tim. Your parish real...Thanks for your candor, Fr. Tim. Your parish really appreciates you!<BR/><BR/>LaocoonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post-7922413812464590492008-09-24T11:38:00.000-05:002008-09-24T11:38:00.000-05:00I just read this over at First Things and wanted t...I just read this over at First Things and wanted to post it: "...appearances are often deceiving because the line separating good from evil runs not between human beings, but through them." This is why we should fight only with Jesus' weapons and let God handle the judgment and vengeance. Only The Word can separate soul from spirit and discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. We must discern between good and evil, but pray for our enemies while resisting them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post-84059841909795505712008-09-24T08:20:00.001-05:002008-09-24T08:20:00.001-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.TLF+https://www.blogger.com/profile/01650010433581488888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post-16460171243808228472008-09-24T08:20:00.000-05:002008-09-24T08:20:00.000-05:00Wow, thanks for these supportive comments. All gl...Wow, thanks for these supportive comments. All glory to God if this post has value - the thought came quickly and clearly as I read Matthew - obviously the Holy Spirit giving understanding of Christ's words and deeds. Not a lot of "work" went into this - thank you, Jesus, for giving me the words.<BR/><BR/>Floridian, another friend emailed with the thought you express. Jesus was not passive, but destroyed demonic strongholds as he ministered to the crowd. Of course the Bible says that he did this from compassion, not from a human agenda of getting even. Still, the fight is indeed where you say - in the spiritual realm. I think one of Satan's strategies is to get folks like me angry at church "foes", thus distracting us from fighting on the right battlefield in prayer.<BR/><BR/>Thanks, David+, for "returning to stregthen the others." The encouragement means much, especially as you have crossed some of the territory out ahead of me. And thank you for affirming the need to grieve... I would really rather break things at this point.<BR/><BR/>Cathy Lou - thank you for this confirmation of what the Spirit is stirring up... even more, thank you for praying for us. Your message makes plenty of sense - "Be still and know that I am God" is indeed the message in this whole mess. If I look at the wreckage, smell the fumes, hear the crumbling, touch the jagged edges, I get profoundly disturbed. If I know who God is (Jesus above all!), I can walk through the valley of death unafraid and, in fact, quite comfy!<BR/><BR/>Blessings on you all.TLF+https://www.blogger.com/profile/01650010433581488888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post-61880392904461696472008-09-24T06:44:00.000-05:002008-09-24T06:44:00.000-05:00- okay - story of my senior moment. I posted the ...- okay - story of my senior moment. I posted the message below on Sunday "for you" but on the wrong blog (Hills of the North - I got confused on the SF blog list.) I woke up Sat. or Sunday feeling that I needed to pray for you for grief and anger, and wrote the comment below. - Cathy_Lou<BR/>-------------------------<BR/>Fr. Tim,<BR/><BR/>I am not in TEC, but my heart goes out to you right now. The Lord brought you to mind for prayer this morning with the sense that this is a time of great grief for you.<BR/><BR/>Even when we steel ourselves for the likelihood that something bad will happen, it still is very very painful when the ones we tried to hope the best of (I Cor. 13) and that we prayed would change, that were warned of the consequences, go through with their actions anyway. Until the sinful action actually happens, there is always hope that it can be forestalled.<BR/><BR/>When the event happens anyway, it brings grief and pain to the ones who have tried to change it, but failed in the attempt and whose trust has been broken.<BR/><BR/>I pray that the Lord would comfort you, reassure you, strengthen you, and especially help you avoid and flee the traps of anger or bitterness, easy pits to fall into in a situation like this.<BR/><BR/>It is NEVER wrong or stupid or a waste of time to try to hope the best of others and try to warn them of the consequences. But the outcome lies with the Lord. "Be still and know that I am God."<BR/><BR/>Hope this makes sense.<BR/><BR/>-Cathy_LouAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post-37863007759095139182008-09-24T06:32:00.000-05:002008-09-24T06:32:00.000-05:00Good point, Floridian, but I want to make a differ...Good point, Floridian, but I want to make a different one.<BR/><BR/>Fr. Tim, my friend, thanks for sharing this very personal and yet pastoral response. I identify with it strongly.<BR/><BR/>I too mourn the loss of the Episcopal Church I once knew and loved. But I may be farther along in the grieving process. Emotionally, I detached and left TEC at least three years, although I remain technically a TEC priest of the Diocese of Albany.<BR/><BR/>A lot of us are going to have to allow ourselves time and permission to grieve deeply, because what we are dealing with is nothing less than the DEATH of the old Anglicanism we cherished. A whole new KIND of religion is being foisted upon Episcopalians under the deceitful guise of advancing legitimate "social justice." Many of our colleagues in ministry still use the old lingo and speak of things like "righteousness," or "salvation" etc., but the content of those grand old terms has been radically altered to fit into a completely different and alien worldview that is relativistic instead of biblical, and essentially political instead of religious.<BR/><BR/>If I may offer a word of hope here, as a fellow mourner perhaps a bit farther down the road to wroking through the deep and overwhelming grief of losing so much that we once held dear, let me simply point to the incontestable fact that before a resurrection can occur, there must first be a death. A tomb cannot be emptied until a body has been placed in it beforehand.<BR/><BR/>And I do firmly and earnestly believe that while the Old Anglicanism, and certainly the old TEC, is dying, a brand new sort of Anglicanism is already starting to arise in its place. And that New (Reformation) Anglicanism will be far superior to the old one, as hard as that may currently be to imagine. It will be more faithfully biblical, more theologically coherent, more morally rigorous, and above all, FAR more aggressively evangelistic and gospel-driven than the old state church kind ever was, or ever could be. Thanks be to God.<BR/><BR/>I'm sorry to hear that your younger son has epilepsy, on top of everything else. May the Lord graciously uphold you and Melissa as you walk through this challenging and confusing time. He is faithful, and he will do it. Meanwhile, I'll be praying for you, brother.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873059253261642303.post-38782349617061896702008-09-24T05:33:00.000-05:002008-09-24T05:33:00.000-05:00Fr. Tim, Jesus (as God and man) DID take vengeanc...Fr. Tim, <BR/><BR/>Jesus (as God and man) DID take vengeance...but He targeted the real enemy.<BR/><BR/>He went into the crowd and healed and delivered them from demons and diseases...he taught/fed them spiritual food.<BR/><BR/>It was as though Jesus, Captain of the Lord of Hosts, had targeted an German prison camp, decimated the the guards and released the captives.<BR/><BR/>He took a huge toll upon the real killer of John the Baptist. Remember, Ephesians 6 - we do not wrestle against flesh and blood and our weapons are not carnal, but are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds.<BR/><BR/>This is the best piece you've ever written among many stellar posts (I'll be praying for you and your family) and the people of Good Shepherd Sioux Falls must know what a treasure God has granted them. Keep being real and transparent...keep being fearless and true to Jesus! You are one powerful priest because of your suffering and your uncompromising love for Christ. The Lord be with thee, fill and comfort thee. Amen<BR/>(the code word was moanh...ironic, huh?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com