A Christmas Letter to St. Paul's

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:2).

Dear brothers and sisters,

            “Be it done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).  These words so simple yet so deeply moving  point to the angelic announcement of the first Christmas night: “Do not fear, for I bring you good news, a great joy for all the people: today, in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord, has been born,” (Luke 2:10).

            In the Anglican-Roman Catholic Theological Document “Mary, Grace and Hope in Christ” we are told that, “Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, stands before us as an example of faithful obedience, and her 'Be it done to me according to your word' is the grace-filled response each of us is called to make to God, both personally and communally, as the Church, the body of Christ.”  It was only through her willingness to serve God, that once again, we can celebrate the Birth of Jesus, 'who is the Messiah, the Lord.'

            Scripture tells us that “The love of God has been poured into our hearts” (Romans 5:5), and that “Perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18).  We do not know how Paul and John came to such convictions.  But I would like to suggest that perhaps, in their minds, Mary's life was their inspiration. And hopefully, it will be yours as well.

            May this Christmas Season and the New Year be filled with joy, renewed with hope, strengthened with the bond of love, and enriched with the peace from on high.

            “God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people.  So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient.  Bear with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.  Love is more important than anything else.  It is what ties everything completely together.  Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace.  So let the peace that comes from Christ guide your thoughts.  And be grateful.”

(Colossians 3:12-15).

Faithfully,

Fr. Gustavo

Peace invariably comes at a great cost

Christmas Sermon by Archbishop Tilewa, Church of the Province of West Africa.

The birth of Christ Jesus was, on the one hand, our almighty and all-knowing God choosing to come into our world as a small and defenseless baby. The gospel according to Matthew recalls the prophecy,

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us”.” (Matthew 1: 23)

On the other hand, the event is of cosmic significance. The gospel according to Luke recalls the message of the birth being brought by an angel to shepherds tending their flock,

“Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests'.” (Luke 2: 13 and 14)

Both events reflect the nature of Jesus – who is both God and human. Jesus had all the human traits that we experience – these including, love, sadness, anger, and so on. Yet he was God made man – God with us – Immanuel.

The birth of the Messiah – Jesus – was foretold by the prophets. The prophet Micah foretold “the virgin will be with child …” and so on, as we heard earlier.

The prophet Isaiah foretold “… to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end”.

The Messiah promised by God, through the prophets, is to rule in wisdom and peace. His kingdom is to be a place where God’s will is done.

We so often hear of the peace to be found through Jesus. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. This is a wonderful thing in our world where we so often hear of conflict. The peace Jesus offers is of God – it is a peace beyond our understanding. It is a peace of body, mind and spirit. It is a peace that we can hold on to even during troubled times. It is a peace that comes when we become aware of the presence of God in our lives.

The gift of Jesus is what we celebrate at Christmas – the Feast of the Nativity – the birth of Christ Jesus. Jesus is the revelation of God for Christians. He not only teaches us the right way to live, but reveals to us the nature of God. In the same way, Jesus reveals the nature of the Spirit of God, who is alive today and can shape our lives and guide us in all we do and are. We have not been promised a trouble free life, but we have been promised the strength to cope and live a fruitful life, no matter what may happen. Another name for the Holy Spirit is the Comforter. Jesus said,

“In the world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33)

Our confidence in the ultimate protection offered to us by God enables us to know the peace only God can give. This, in turn, gives a joy that, again, only God can give. It can be seen in the faces of those who know God. It is not a superficial happiness, but a joyful peace from the depth of our being that cannot be taken away. It cannot be acquired in any other way than knowing the presence of God in our lives. This can happen through prayer and regular quiet times alone with God.

Such peace and joy invariably come at a cost. It is not that suffering brings peace and joy; but suffering can lead to a depth of relationship with God, whom we turn to in time of trouble. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples. The gospel according to John tells us, “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with doors locked ….. , Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” (John 20: 19 and 20)

Jesus’ greeting of peace is associated with him showing them his wounds. Peace invariably comes at a great cost. Despite the appalling cruelty he had experienced, Jesus was able to forgive his torturers and executioners. Indeed, he was able to plead with God for their forgiveness. Such forgiveness is exceptional. True forgiveness does not come easily, and does not even recall past wrongs – however awful these may be. I firmly believe it comes only as a gift from God. This in turn allows the peace and joy only God can give.

Such is the nature of the Jesus whose birth we celebrate today. Through the Spirit of God we too can experience something of this nature. Occasionally, in our world, we hear remarkable stories of people who are able to find the grace to forgive terrible wrongs. We will look more into this in the New Year.

It is my prayer that you, and those whom you love, will come to experience the peace and joy that come from God.

On behalf of the Anglican Church of The Gambia, and the Church of the Province of West Africa, I wish you a happy Christmas. May God bless you all.

++Tilewa West Africa

(h/t to Anglican Ink)

Seeking a Common Mind in Christ

22 December, 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

        “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord,” (Philipians 4:2). Disagreement is part and parcel of ordinary life. We may have different opinions from the trivial to the circumstantial to the fundamental. Who is the best actor or actress? What would be the best policy to combat unemployment? What about the “Filioque” clause in the Creed? Mary and Martha seemed to have different priorities, yet both dearly loved their Master.  St Paul didn't see eye to eye with Peter, and yet both served the Risen Lord. And if we further look into the history of the Church and, indeed, the history of civilization, we will notice that disagreement is no stranger to human affairs.

        But what to do when we disagree? St. Paul, no doubt based on his own experience as well as following the Spirit's directions points out to us a new way, “Be of one mind.” Seek commonality – seek those things that we hold in common – rather than stressing our difference of opinions or understandings. This is not yielding to a position that in good conscience one would not be able to hold. Rather, while holding to one's own perspectives, differences are to be understood in the context of things held in common. When we face differences, the apostolic urging then, is to highlight how much and how foundational is what we, as Christians, have in common – our common hope in God, our common baptism in the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the common empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, and our belonging to the same Body of the Risen Lord. This is what we have in common and what makes us – in spite of whatever differences we may have – members of each other. We are members that can be never separated from each other or from the Body of Christ. We can never say that we have no need of our fellow brother or sister, (1 Corinthians 12:21).

        Differences tend to separate us. Love and belonging is what draws us together. Besides, having a different viewpoint can be very constructive and life-enhancing. We can only see in three dimensions (and thus having a sense of depth and space) because each one of our eyes has a unique viewpoint. It is our brain who processes those different perspectives into one image that we can really use for our own good. Having two right or two left eyes would be no good at all. It is only when such differences are processed in the context of the unity of our human brain, that new and powerful vision allows us to reach our full potential as human beings.

        We may have different viewpoints about what has been St. Paul's experience over the last few years. We may have different opinions about how issues should have been handled. We may have wished a different outcome. That's fine, as long as we realize that we cannot be absolutely certain that having made changes sooner rather than later, or having handled issues in a different way, would have resulted in a better or a different outcome. We may have got our own way, yes. But, in the end, what is it most important – our way, or God's way?

        And God's way is what should draw us to unity, knowing that even having different opinions we can never be enemies, for God's desire is “to create in His body one new humanity from … opposing groups, thus creating peace. Effectively, the cross becomes God’s means to kill off the hostility once and for all so that He is able to reconcile us all into Christ's one new Body,” (cf. Efesians 2:15-16, The Voice).

        Brothers and sisters, be of one mind. Let us remember how much we do have in common. Let us “Kiss one another with the kiss of peace,” (Romans 16:16). and let us use our energy, our gifts, our drive, and our vision for reaching out those who need to hear the Good News of God in Christ.

        Let us go forth into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Faithfully,

Fr. Gustavo

A Letter from Fr Gustavo

In the Bleak Mid-Winter

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

                        (Christina Rossetti, 1830-1894)

Dear brothers and sisters,

To some of you it may seem that what St Paul's is going through is like a huge storm in the middle of winter, with problems piling up – and with the prospects of a real storm falling in the area next Sunday – now it seems like it is “snow on snow, snow on snow.”

But even so, in the midst of this apparent bleakness, there are many “Angels and archangels” surrounding us – all the good gifts, ministries, and individuals that make our parish family.

At times like this, it does well to remember that Christ's grace and mercy will never fail to warm our hearts and be our inspiration and strength to do “our part.” There is no doubt in my mind that we will be given the grace we need to face the future with confidence, love, and renewed hope.

Please take time to pray for our parish family. Remember Fr. James in your prayers, as well. Pray that the Lord will inspire us, and heal us. Pray that He may strengthen us to discern his will for the future, and that, in due course, our joy may be restored.



Faithfully,

Fr Thomas Gustavo Mansella