The Sunday called Sexagesima,
or the second Sunday before Lent.
The Book of Common Prayer 1928.

The Collect.

O LORD God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. 2 Cor. xi. 19.

YE suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

The Gospel. St. Luke viii. 4.

WHEN much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time or temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 

The Parish Announcements for the Week of February 19th

If you are visiting us

Welcome to Christ Church Anglican, Southern Pines! Thank you for being here. We are very pleased to have you with us, and hope that your worship here is a blessing to you. Please sign the guest book on the table in the narthex, and provide appropriate contact information. Include your email address in order to be placed on our parish email list: you won’t be bombarded with mail, but it’s a good way to keep in touch. And may God bless you!

Offering Envelopes

If you have not already done so, please do not forget to pick up your offering envelopes, which may be found on the narthex table.

Lenten Retreat – Diocese of the Holy Cross

Concerning this, Bishop Hewett writes,

“We have a great opportunity ahead of us to get some spiritual rest and relaxation, at the 2023 Lenten Clergy Retreat, March 7 – 9, at the Cistercian Monastery in Conyers, GA. It is so important that we practice what St. Thomas Aquinas called “selfless self-love” and give ourselves time and space for refreshment and restoration.

“I have invited the Rev. Canon Steven Dart to be the director of the Retreat. We have known each other since 1988. He has been the Rector of Christ Anglican Church in Carefree, Arizona for twenty-five years and has directed many retreats. He will give seven meditations on how we may enter into the peace of God.”

It is my hope that both Fr. Terrence and I will be able to avail ourselves of this opportunity: the more so as it is a mid-week event, and neither of us would need to be absent on a Sunday.

Preparations for Lent

It is hard to believe, but Lent is nearly upon us! And as I have mentioned previously, Lent is an excellent time to commence, or re-commit to, a Rule of Life that can be continued through the year. Lord willing, I shall be providing some suggestions and reflections on keeping a holy Lent in my next “Rector’s Ramblings.”

Holy Days

Tuesday, February 14th – Cyril (869) and Methodius, Missionaries; St. Valentine, Martyr (?): OC.

Wednesday, February 15th – Thomas Bray, Priest and Missionary (1730): LFF.

[Saturday, February 18th – Brother Martin of Erfurt (1546)*]; BIO.

* “Brother Martin of Erfurt” is, as the more knowledgeable will have figured out, an oblique way of referring to the towering figure of the 16th century we know as Martin Luther, who died on 18 January of 1546. I am “borrowing” him from the Anglican hagiographer James Kiefer’s “Biographical Sketches of Notable Christians of the Past” for several reasons:

1) the Joint Anglican Synods (“G3”) enjoy friendly relations, though not (yet…?) intercommunion, with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, a traditional and catholic-minded branch of Lutheranism;

2) Lutheran thought influenced the English Reformers, not so much directly as through followers of Luther such as Melanchthon and, especially, Bucer: particularly in such areas as the use of the vernacular in the liturgy, the sufficiency of Scripture for salvation, and the importance of grace, through faith, in attaining that salvation; and

3) were it not for Brother Martin, there would likely not have been a Reformation at all – and thus, no Anglicanism as we know it!

That said, he does not appear (so far as I know) in any “official” Anglican Calendar, which is why his name appears in brackets, above.

OC = Ordo Calendar; LFF = Lesser Feasts & Fasts 1963; BIO = James Kiefer’s “Biographical Sketches of Memorable Christians of the Past”

Image: Hans Leonhard Schaufelein, “The Parable of the Sower,” from Das Plenarium (Metropolitan Museum of Art) 1480-1540.