The Encouraging Thomist

The Nativity Jesus Christ Icon I. Tonight.  A night very much like tonight,   God, the Lord Almighty,    creator of the heavens and earth,     took on our own frail humanity      and united Heaven to Earth, and Earth to Heaven.  Tonight,  A night very much like tonight,   a night fraught with the evils of the world,    in a nation subjugated under the powers of the world,     the Chosen People of Israel, unsure of their own survival,      the military conquests of the Roman Empire still burning across the Middle East,       that kind of night:        that night was when God chose to come among us         and to dwell with us.          God with us.           Emmanuel.  Tonight.  A night very much like tonight.   The Creator of the Heaven and Earth came down to Earth,    and not in the resplendent glory of majesty,     not in pomp and circumstance,      but rather God came in the lowly form of a baby,       born of the Virgin

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Elizabeth Icon I.  Have you ever had someone really believe in you? Now, I'm not talking about whether you were believable,    as if you were untrustworthy, no.      Have you ever had someone BELIEVE in you? Someone who saw something in you that you couldn't see,   a talent that you didn't know you had,     a character that you yourself needed someone to confirm in you? Maybe you had a school teacher see your dedication,   and actually take time to tell you that they see your hard work     and encourage you to keep it up. Maybe you had a tough day at work,   and even though it seemed like the world was falling apart,     you were able to keep your focus and your cool,      and your boss noticed and told you that they admired your character? Maybe you yourself saw someone who needed a kind word said to them,   and you really looked at them and listened to the music of their life,     and it caused

John the Baptist - Angel in the Desert Icon 17th Century Russian Orthodox Icon I. Anyone sat through a fire and brimstone sermon before?   Well, rest assured that that's not what I'm up to this morning!      I promise! But think for a moment.   Because even if you haven't been immediately present for one of those sermons,     doubtless you have some sort of picture come into your mind.       Or at least some caricature of a red faced preacher,         waving his arms and getting after the congregation          to turn from their evil ways. I grew up Baptist, so I can attest to some of these sermons first hand.   And an the main element of those sermons that really made me super uncomfortable     and really made me want to crawl under the pew and try to pretend that I'm somewhere else,       is the inevitable charge to repent and change my evil ways         by coming down the aisle and making a public choice for Jesus. And so when I think of f

John the Baptist Icon I.  George H.W. Bush.   He was the 41st President of the United States,     from 1989-1993.       His Vice President was Dan Quayle,         a memorable fellow on his own merit. And one of those funny things about when someone as important   as George, the former President, finally dies,     is that you find out what religion they are at their funeral. I bet some of y'all didn't know that the Bush family are Episcopalians!   Heck, I sure didn't!     But sure enough: George and Barbara, both deceased this year,       were lifelong and faithful Christians of the Episcopalian mold. And the funeral service was quite interesting,   as most Presidential funerals are. Our current President, Donald Trump,   along with many former Presidents,    such as Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter,       and also other world leaders were in attendance. [https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/04/politics/geor

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ Coptic Icon I. One day, a local Roman Catholic priest    and his friend, an Evangelical pastor,       were standing on the side of a road with signs that read,         "The end is near! Repent! Turn around before its too late!"             And their plan was to show these signs to every car that passed by. First vehicle: a big red Dodge Ram truck drives their direction.    "The end is near! Repent! Turn around before its too late!"    The driver, with eyes locked with these religious leaders, yells,       "We don't need your crazy religious preaching!"            and sped on past these two ministers on the road.               There were screeching tires and a loud "splash." Second vehicle: a Prius hybrid, young woman behind the wheel.    She looks at these ministers, and the ministers wave the signs.    "The end is near! Repent! Turn around before its too late!"       She qui

Christ the King Icon I. What do you think it means for someone to be King? We hear the word "King" thrown around a lot in our popular culture, right?    Elvis, The King of Rock n' Roll?      NBA star Lebron James, often times referred to as "King James"?        Aragorn, son of Arathorn, High King of Gondor?        [that, friends, is a Lord of the Rings reference] And, like that Lord of the Rings reference,    often the only exposure to Kings or Queens is in high fantasy fiction       or in the movies depicting some sort of romanticized or legendary figure. Just last year, there was ANOTHER King Arthur movie produced:   you know, King Arthur, of the Knights of the Round Table?     Or if you prefer some dark and gritty portrayal of Kings and Queens,        pick up some Game of Thrones: it will make your taste for monarchy           go sour real quick. Our romanticizing of Kings and Queens is also very interesting    given that most o

The Ascension of Jesus Christ Icon I. Thank goodness for people who know how to build a good space for worship! We here at Trinity Searcy, in my humble opinion, have a uniquely beautiful place to worship.    This building has been standing for over 100 years,       the stained glass shines the light of the Gospels on us,         and the woodcraft that is around us right now is carefully constructed. And if you notice the construction of the building,    you will see that there are three distinct sections of it. Most of y'all in the pews are sitting in what is called the Nave,    which comes from the same root as the words "navy" or "naval"       and it refers to a boat.          In the early church, a common metaphor for the Church was Noah's Ark,          [Augustine of Hippo, Contra Faustum, book XII; and etc.]             and if you look at the ceiling trusses,               you may find that it looks a little like the structure of

The Widow's Mite  Mosaic at St. Apollinarius's Church in Ravena I.  "We wear the mask that grins and lies,    It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—       This debt we pay to human guile;          With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,             And mouth with myriad subtleties. Why should the world be over-wise,    In counting all our tears and sighs?       Nay, let them only see us, while          We wear the mask. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries    To thee from tortured souls arise.       We sing, but oh the clay is vile          Beneath our feet, and long the mile;            But let the world dream otherwise,              We wear the mask!"                 ["We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar] Some of you may recognize this poem,    but if you haven't heard it,       this is a poem called "We Wear the Mask"         by one of the most influential poets and novelists            of the la