Be faithful...

More than many words!

Anglican Meditations for the Holy Week (MONDAY)

The following material has been taken from ANGLICAN MAINSTREAM

am: Ps 51
pm: 69:1-23
Jer 12:1-16; Phil 3:1-14; John 12:9-19

LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: The term “Holy Monday” carries over from the Eastern Orthodox Church for Monday and Tuesday of this Week also known as Great and Holy Monday and Tuesday. On these days, an icon of the "Bridegroom" is placed in the center of the church, portraying Jesus wearing the purple robe of mockery and crowned with a crown of thorns. Also the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated, at which the faithful may receive Holy Communion from the reserved Holy Mysteries.

MEDITATION OF THE DAY: For the Apostle Paul, we see today that he spends a good bit of time that there is the need for perspective and self-reflection. As a matter of fact he calls all that he has done he has just spent time explaining to the Philippians Christians of little consequence and in fact, it is worthless. WHY? Because he has met and encountered Jesus Christ and everything, is worthless compared to knowing him? This Week in Holy Week, we are given a profound opportunity through the liturgical journey of the church to come face to face with the power of the cross and reconcile our lives with the price Christ had to pay to save us. This is not a week to be complacence and to look forward to a nice holiday. Rather we should be aware that here is much to
do in this journey, if we want to attain the prize of which he speaks . As we consider the words of St. Paul today and moving through this Holy Week, let us ponder our reasons why or why not we are on the road to accomplish the prize, which is Christ Jesus as Risen Lord.

PRAYER OF THE DAY: I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me. Amen - - (Psalm 142)

Holy Monday Discipline – Take some time to study about what the church teachings on poverty and the Christian response is to be. Ask yourself how significant your life response has been. Such thoughts will not only help you serve Christ, but you also add into yourself a wider perspective about difficult issues. Or Think about this….Mary used costly perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet. What is valuable in your life today? Time? Money? Relationships? How can you use these things to honor Jesus?

Primoz Trubar, a Kingdom Story in Slovenia

Due to my professional engagements, I'm visiting the beautiful city of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. I am attending the First European Food Congress, where several subjects related to food such as health, nutrition, consumer behaviour, safety, etc. are being thorougly discussed.

Anyway, yesterday, on my way to the registration desk, I noticed that there was an exhibition in a nearby museum about a man called Primoz Trubar, and I could understand something about "protestant" in the title (my Slovenian is null). So, after registration, I visited the aforementioned museum. The guide told me the following story:

Primoz Trubar was a Bible believing Christian, who played a very important role in the history of Slovenia. He was very much influenced by the German reformers. The desire of his heart was that every Slovenian person could read the Bible (translated by Jurij Dalmatin). Therefore, he dedicated his life to the development of the Slovenian language. First he wrote a Catechism (a basic introduction to the faith), and he developed the first Slovenian alphabet (abecedarium). He didn't stop there. He founded several primary and popular schools where all children, boys and girls could go to learn the alphabet and other subjects like how to live decently in society. Moreover, Trubar was the pioneer of secondary education in Slovenia. Today's Slovenian language would not have existed if Trubar would not have taken the calling and contributed to the "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven". He was working FOR the Kingdom of God!

After few years, he was forced to exile in Germany ... the politics of the Austrian-Habsburgs in close collaboration with the RC Inquisition yielded in the persecution of this man. Tubar's work was prohibited and even the mention of his name was banned from all history textbooks until the early XX Century. In 2008 the Slovenian people celebrate the 500 anniversary of the birth of this man of God's Kingdom. Vindicated after centuries of forcedly being forgotten. The official Slovenian Government address can be read here. The official site of Trubar2008 is here with more detailed biographical information.

It was an inspiring visit!

Some Emergent stuff (no words, just pics)

More HERE

Wonderings of the Anglican Communion

As most of my friends know, I came to the Christian (bible based faith) in the setting of a small Anglican Church in La Paz. As consequence, I always had a special heart for the Anglican Communion. It was normally refreshing to know that despite the hurricanes of doctrine that whipped Bolivia (e.g.Liberation Theology, Prosperity & Faith 'gospels', Dispensationalism, and lots of other mixtures), one could always count on the Bible based faith of the Anglicans. Even if the appointed leader were once "too liberal" (low Church) or the next "too backwards" (high Church), they normally kept the principle of honoring the Bible as final source of authority: the simple saying "Show me what is in the Bible and I will teach it. Show me that what I teach isn't in the Bible, and I will stop teaching it."

I recently found a post from the Unofficial Lambeth 2008 Website. They are already suggesting that Archbishop Rowan Williams should resign in order to keep the unity of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Anglicans are the largest non RC Christian denomination in the world, and in many places they are "the" reference of what Christianity is all about. Therefore, the unity of the Anglicans is a matter not only for the member but for the whole Body of Christ on the Earth.

And Michael Daly, boldly suggests that the well respected scholar, the Lord Bishop of Durham, may be the successor and the only move that could keep the Anglican Communion as a Unity. Hereunder his words:

“But, who will replace him?” you ask. I thought about that, too. While +Rochester would make a fine candidate (at least I think so), he would never fly with the rest of the Communion and it is doubtful that most British people (apart from the Evangelicals) would think much of it, either. Step back a bit, then and think about who in the English Church has been most outspoken recently about maintaining the structural integrity of the Lambeth Conference and the Anglican Communion? I’ll give you a hint: he’s another eminent scholar and has a seat in the House of Lords.

Putting this all together may seem a bit of a stretch, but it makes sense to my supper-addled mind, this evening. Could +Tom Wright be making a play for something the present Archbishop of Canterbury has already given up on? And would it necessarily be a bad thing?

Apparently all odds are pointing to NT Wright as the successor. As for me, I will simply keep praying for the Anglicans in the pain where they are now.

Recuerdos/Memories

Some of these Christian songs are part of my early days as believer. I thought that they were appropriate to celebrate the Reformation Day.

Happy Reformation Day

On October 31st 1517, 490 y ago, Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses at the door of the Cathedarl in Wittemberg, Germany. Church doors functioned as bulletin boards in that period of history. These theses were an answer to the controversial selling of indulgences by the Roman curia to build the Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. This action has been considered as the igniting of the Reformation. Later on, Martin Luther translated the Bible to German language, and blessed eventually the whole Western World with the access to the Word of God in lay language. He changed the history of the Western World.

A scientist and a believer

Reformation heritage

Reformation Heritage



Fathers of the Reformation



Receive the challenge of their lives!