Dear Friends
It should come as no surprise to us to describe this world as a world of sin. It is everywhere, it spoils and it corrupts, and nothing we can do will prevent its power. Sin captured the heart of Cain and, from that moment on, has had mastery over our race. A few have been able to withstand its onslaught, but the majority of mankind succumbs to its might.
And the Lord comes incarnate into our world, and we may rejoice. “Christ is born! Glorify him!” we cry out. But Christ becoming one of us does not defeat sin, it is only by Christ’s death and resurrection that the power of sin in this world is defeated. But as a marker, as a sign, as a symbol of his coming victory, he humbles himself, leads us down into the Jordan and forward to baptism by the Forerunner.
And we, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, follow our Lord into the Jordan, we participate in this, the Declaration of War against the demons of sin.
So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God.”
Joshua 3:9–11, 13–17
And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites:
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. …
And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”
So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest),
that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
This is War. Of old the powers of sin, the enemies of God, were to be driven out from Canaan, now all the demonic powers are to be driven out; Christ comes and annihilates their strength.
But so readily I slip back into sin. It gets everywhere because of my own unrighteousness. I sin and a mark, a stain, remains in the place. I sin, and when I stand in that same spot I am tempted to repeat the sin and go on to commit a greater sin. My sin invites the demonic powers to return to a place, gives them a foothold again in my life and the lives of those whom I love.
And so each year we invite the priest, in the days and weeks following Theophany, to bless once again our homes, to remove the stain, the festering stench, of sin that we might again join in the Declaration of War against our foes.
Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11–13
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Let us all then, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, use every weapon the Lord gives us, “the whole armour of God,” to drive out evil from our lives, our homes, and purify ourselves that we may enter into the Promised Land as children of God and heirs of eternal life. Our world is a world of sin, and yet by the power of God the place where we are may become for us an image of Paradise where God dwells with his people.
Come and see!
It is the tradition in the Orthodox Church to have our houses blessed at Theophany — please get in contact to arrange a mutually convenient time for me to come.
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
Through Moses we, the children of Israel, received a first baptism. By the waters, the pillar of cloud, the pursuing tyrant was kept at bay and by passing through the waters, “a wall to [us] on [our] right hand and on [our] left,” (Exodus 14:22) have we been led to freedom from slavery. By the Forerunner have we received a second baptism, for the remission of sins, that we may be cleansed and purified. But these two baptisms are not complete—we have been freed for captivity, we have been cleansed, but for what purpose? For we may still fall back into slavery, still sin may control us: but through Christ, “he will baptise [us] with the Holy Spirit,” that we may be as glorious as the stars of heaven.
And yet I so easily deny each of these baptisms. The Satan shows me the kingdoms of this Age and whispers in my ear,
“All this authority I will give you, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Therefore, if you will worship before me, all will be yours.” (Luke 4:6–7)
And I choose to step back through the pillar of cloud into his servitude. The sin I accept as a logical consequence and, therefore, the Holy Spirit cannot remain. My position, my potential, as a son of God is denied and I become as the demonic powers for whom the everlasting fire is prepared. (Matthew 25:41)
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Read last Sunday’s Sermon, Three Baptisms.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 5th January
Discussion on the Epistle to the Hebrews, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 6th January
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 7th January
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Online session is via Google Meet: please get in contact for the details.
Please join us: all are welcome, come and see.
Attending Church
We meet at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. Come and See.
Can I help you?
I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch.
Can you help the parish?
Yes, absolutely. Offer yourselves to the Lord: pray! Make available to him all your talents and ask him how he would like you to use them — listen for his reply.
Your prayers!
With love in Christ
Fr Alexander
[email protected]