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The Scriptures are foundational to the Christian life.  Yet many Christians do not spend much time reading and studying the Bible.  If we believe it to be "The Word of the Lord", how can we not listen to it?  Today's episode invites listeners to see the grand story, to ask 2 critical questions, and to truly strive to listen to God's voice in the Bible.

The Rev. Dr. Charles Erlandson presents his first talk at the 2019 Ancient Faith Conference at St. Patrick's Anglican Church, Murfreesboro, TN.  

Exhaustion.  Stress.  Overload.  We often feel these things.  Peter and the disciples did.  In the aftermath of Jesus' arrest, trial, execution and resurrection, they are left reeling.  What does it all mean?  In the midst of this Peter decided to go fishing.  And what a trip it was!  They learn some important lessons in their encounter with the Risen Lord --and so will we.  I also discuss St. Maximillian Kolbe who sacrificed himself on behalf of another. 

What do individualism, emotionalism, antinomianism, minimalism, relativism, and judgmentalism all have in common?  They are "isms" that work directly against the deepening and maturing of our Christian life.  Yet, they have worked their way into much of the popular Christian culture.  In this podcast, I talk about ways we can identify and resist their harmful effects.  I also spend some time sharing the wisdom of St. Francis of Assisi from the "Little Flowers of St. Francis" 

One week they praise Him and the next week they condemn Him.  Two crowds.  But are they?  We know that we have the capacity in our selves for divided loyalty, for blessing and cursing.  We know St. Peter will deny even knowing Jesus.  Yet, the love of God remains constant through it all.  He never leaves us or abandons us.  His mission remains steadfast and he wins our redemption despite our inconsistency.  The love of God is truly remarkable.  

We often focus on what NOT to do, but why not focus rather on what we SHOULD do?  In this episode we learn how the Seven Godly Virtues help us in our battle against the Seven Capital Sins (also known as the Seven Deadly Sins).  We also spend some time learning about St. Cyprian of Carthage and what he has to teach us about the Lord's Prayer and Patience.

St. Peter learns an important lesson in Luke's gospel about obedience.  Through his obedience, and his trust, his eyes are opened to see Jesus in a new light as well how he relates to his Lord.  We would do well to learn from this example and how even reluctant obedience can be a key to our discipleship.  We also learn from St. Augustine about overcoming our internal conflict of will in responding to Jesus.

You and I are called to battle.  We are called to engage in a great campaign, outlined in scripture, against the world, the flesh, and the devil.  While we absolutely should make are requests known to God, we should be mindful of the fight that is before us.  We battle our own temptations, we battle the allure of the world's values, and of course the evil one.  Let's look at prayer through this lens and see how it might enrich our prayer life.

We are most joyful when our lives are lived with meaning and purpose.  Authentic discipleship brings deep joy but it is demanding and rigorous. However, that's also what makes it beautiful and rewarding and full.   In this episode I also talk about St. Clement and read from his letter to the Corinthians.  And we talk a bit about how to handle distractions in worship and in private prayer.  

Happy 2019!  So how can we get our new year off to a good start spiritually?  I offer 5 ways we can move forward in our faith over the next 12 months.  In this podcast, I also introduce you to St. Francis de Sales and his book, "Introduction to the Devout Life".   

Christ is born!  But what is this great gift really all about?  We read that God became flesh and dwelt among us.  We sing the carols like "Joy to the World" but what is this joy truly all about. At its core, the Incarnation is where God's great love and our great need intersect.  Listen to the message of Christmas again and let it sink deep into your heart.

In the midst of pain, trials, and dark days we may wonder if God is still with us.  Sometimes it feels like we are alone.  How can we walk faithfully and confidently through our difficulties?  Pain and difficulties are a part of life and Christianity does not give us a pass around them.  But we are given Christ's presence through them.  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I love this holiday --the food, the parade, the gatherings, and the NAP!  But I think we are called to more than a day of thanksgiving.  As Christians, we are called to a life of Thanksgiving.  Check out my Thanksgiving Day sermon from St. Patrick's to learn more.  

What is the place of duty in the Christian life?  In a time where so much emphasis is on emotion and convenience, I think it's time to recover a sense of the nobility of duty. We don't seek obedience to get something from God, but we seek to be obedient because that is what He has asked of us.  Without a lively sense of duty to our call, we often are stagnant in our life of faith.

Many of us long for a deeper, more rich life of faith.  We wonder why there seems to be a disconnect.  Could it be that, like the Rich Young Man, our hearts are divided?  Could it be that we have an achilles heel that needs to be addressed?  Mark's Gospel tells us that Jesus looked at this man and loved him and he told him the truth.  Maybe we need a similar conversation with our Lord.

You hear lots about freedom these days.  Usually freedom is about throwing off all that constrains us and pursuing what we want, when we want, how we want.  But is that the kind of freedom we are called to pursue? Scripture tells us, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." (Gal 5:1)  What if we have been misunderstanding freedom, particularly freedom in Christ?  Join me for this week's podcast and learn more! 

There is a lot of fear in the world today.  The news providers make good money from capitalizing on our fears.  We tend toward worry, stress, and anxiety and so much around us tells us that our fear is well founded.  But is it?  Are we called to live in fear?  How does faith, trust, and courage intersect with the real world in which we live.  That's what I explore in this week's podcast.

Of all the animals we could be, Scripture likens us to sheep.  That doesn't seem like the most flattering image.  I'd have loved to have been a lion.  Or an eagle.  But no, we are sheep.  Yet we have a great Shepherd and that makes all the difference.  If we are going to be his disciples, one of the most helpful things we can do is examine this image and learn more about our calling and his provision.

Bad news seems to be all around us.  We all are hungry for good news. But we are hungry not just to be told good news, but to encounter and experience good news.  The people around us need to see it and experience it from us before they hear it from us.  How do we BE good news in this world?  How do we earn the right to be heard in this bad news world?  

When you read Scripture, it's hard not to see the concern God has for the poor.  In both the Old and New Testaments we see that the people of God are called to compassionate concern and care for the poor.  Yet this seems like a struggle for the modern church.  We tend to do good things on other fronts, but are we inadvertently neglecting to reflects God's own care for the poor among us?