New Covenant Church Blog

Friday Epistle for December 29, 2017

December 29th, 2017 by Gabriel Ipasu

Christmas, a Family Affair on earth and in Heaven

Posted in Friday Epistles, General

Friday Epistle - December 8, 2017

December 8th, 2017 by Carl Buffington

FRIENDS

Friends are rare and precious. I am so thankful for so many I count as friends. New Covenant is truly a friend-filled place!

Here are a couple of my other friends.

FR. BURNET CHERISOL

This Sunday I want to introduce to you all a new friend of the past couple years. Father Burnet Cherisol is the recently installed Episcopal Vicar of Anglican Mission Haiti. A couple weeks ago I shared the story of our time there in a bit more detail in a midweek epistle entitled, Haiti And Back. Sheryl Shaw, Fr. Gabriel and I, along with Bishop Kevin Donlon, went to Port au Prince for Fr. Burnet's installation and to do Confirmations, Receptions, and Received a couple of priests into the new Mission.

Burnet was a seminary professor in Haiti and is a well-known personality there. The times we have been with him there, people regularly stop to greet him. And when he is with you at the airport, even the security people give him a nod and let you pass. You will like him! He will be with us this Sunday.

FR. BRENNAN MANNING

We became friends in the mid 80s. We use to walk the French Quarter stopping at every gelato and ice cream parlor, finishing the day with some fresh beignets.

Here's a wonderful Christmas story from a blog Brennan wrote in 2012. He checked into the heavenly Jerusalem in April the next year.

The Enchanted One

from The Ship Wrecked at the Stable

There is a beautiful story recounted every Christmas in the forests of Provence in southern France. It's about the four shepherds who came to Bethlehem to see the child. One brought eggs, another bread and cheese, the third brought wine. And the fourth brought nothing at all. People called him L'Enchanté.

The first three shepherds chatted with Mary and Joseph, commenting on how well Mary looked, how cozy was the cave and how handsomely Joseph had appointed it, what a beautiful starlit night it was. They congratulated the proud parents, presented them with their gifts and assured them that if they needed anything else, they had only to ask.

Finally someone asked, "Where is L'Enchanté?" They searched high and low, up and down, inside and out. Finally, someone peeked through the blanket hung against the draft, into the crèche. There, kneeling at the crib, was L'Enchanté - the Enchanted One.

Like a flag or a flame taking the direction of the wind, he had taken the direction of love. Throughout the entire night, he stayed in adoration, whispering, "Jesu, Jesu, Jesu - Jesus, Jesus, Jesus."

Yes! As the chorus goes, "What a friend we have in Jesus..." And when Jesus is in our friends, well, we experience the incarnation in every greeting!

Greetings to you all my friends,

Posted in Friday Epistles

Who will take the Son?

December 5th, 2017 by Carl Buffington

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas,

There was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'

*There was silence...*

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'we want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'

But the auctioneer persisted 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'

Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!'

But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

'We have $10, who will bid $20?'

'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel.. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'

A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'

'What about the paintings?'

'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

*The man who took the son gets everything*

God gave His son over 2,000 years ago to die on the Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?'

*Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything*

*FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE*

SUNDAY SERVICES:

Friday Epistle for December 29, 2017

Friday Epistle - December 8, 2017

Who will take the Son?

African Family and Community Outreach Christmas Gift Sign up

Friday Epistle - December 1, 2017

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