Thomas Cranmer: The True and Lively Christian Faith

“Of this faith three things are specially to be noted. First, that this faith doth not lie dead in the heart, but it is lively and fruitful in bringing forth good works. Second, that without it can no good works be done, that shall be acceptable and pleasant to God. Third, what manner of good works can they be that this faith doth bring forth…Thy deeds and works must be an open testimonial of thy faith…

Be sure of your faith, try it by your living, look upon the fruits that cometh of it, mark the increase of love and charity by it towards God and your neighbor, and so shall you perceive it to be a true and lively faith. If you feel and perceive such a faith in you, rejoice in it, and be diligent to maintain it, and keep it still in you; let it be daily increasing, and more and more be well working, and so shall you be sure that you shall please God by this faith.”

Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) excerpts from his homily, The True and Lively Faith.

I chose today’s homily in honor of an Anglican brother, Chris Cairns, whom I had the privilege of teaching this week! He’s taught me to appreciate the writings of Thomas Cranmer. Rich treasures are the Thirty-Nine Articles and homilies like this one!

“The Bible is full of caution lights warning us when we are about to head off course and into spiritual trouble. John issues one of those warnings to us, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

…I have identified four flashing “caution lights” that should warn us that we might indeed have gotten into an illicit love affair with the world and the things of this world.

Caution Light #1
We are falling in love with the world…when we are never quite satisfied with what we have. (Ecclesiastes 5:10; 6:7)

Caution Light #2
We are falling in love with the world…when the things we own end up owning us. (Matthew 6:24; 2 Timothy 4:10; Luke 12:15)

Caution Light #3
We are falling in love with the world…when worry about losing our things is disrupting our inner peace. (Philippians 4:11-12; Hebrews 13:5)

Caution Light #4
We are falling in love with the world…when our longing to be there is diminished by our affection for what we have here. (2 Corinthians 5:8; Matthew 13:22)

…As we continue to live in this materialistic culture of ours, may we all keep our eyes carefully peeled for these four caution lights so we might not unintentionally end up becoming an illicit lover of the world and the things of the world.”

Jay Link in “Do You Love the World?” blog post on August 5, 2010.

I chose this meditation with four points because, by God’s grace, today marks the fourth anniversary of daily Meditations from the Generosity Monk. After four years, my focus remains the same:

The purpose of these daily meditations from this contemplative consultant is to challenge the steward of Jesus Christ to think about biblical stewardship principles and their application to everyday life.

After four years of daily reading, not a morning goes by that I am not inspired by quotes of saints through the centuries (as well as modern voices) linked to Christian generosity. I pray they inspire you as well.

“Financial stewardship is such a fundamental part of our spiritual relationship with Christ that authentic discipleship does not exist without it…Each of us makes one of two choices in life. We either become emotionally attached to our money or we become emotionally attached to God. Although we often hope to do both, in our hearts we know that cannot happen.”

Herb Miller in The Parish Paper: Ideas and Insights for Active Congregations, June 2011.

“Charity, as it is written, is not self-seeking (1 Cor 13:5) meaning that it places the common good before its own, not its own before the common good. So whenever you show greater concern for the common good than for your own, you may know that you are growing in charity.”

Augustine of Hippo (354-430), Written about the year 400, The Rule of St. Augustine, divided into eight chapters, is one of the earliest guides for religious life. This excerpt from chapter V.

“Therefore, when anyone receives the name of abbot, he ought to govern his disciples with a twofold teaching.

That is to say, [1] he should show them all that is good and holy by his deeds even more than by his words, expounding the Lord’s commandments in words to the intelligent among his disciples, but demonstrating the divine precepts by his actions to those of harder hearts and ruder minds.

And [2] whatever he has taught his disciples to be contrary to God’s law, let him indicate by example that it is not to be done, lest, while preaching to others, he himself be found reprobate, and lest God one day say to him in his sin, “Why do you declare my statutes and profess my covenant with your lips, whereas you hate discipline and have cast my words behind you?” [Psalm 50:16-17] And again, “You were looking at the speck in your brother’s eye and you did not see the beam in your own. [Luke 6:41-42]”

Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-543), Rule of St. Benedict 2.

“There is a story about a vacationer to Mexico who chided a local about what the tourist perceived as laziness. The local was sitting under a tree on a hot summer day drinking an iced tea.

“Why aren’t you working and earning money?” the tourist asked. He went on: “Take me as an example. At your age, I worked two jobs. I saved money and invested it. By now, I have accumulated enough to come here to Mexico to take my vacation.”

“And how are you going to spend your day here?” asked the local.

“Why, I’m going to sit under that tree there and drink iced tea,” said the tourist.

“I rest my case,” said the local.

The old adage deserves consideration: you can’t take it with you. Use money to become a more generous individual.”

Gary Lauenstein in The Redemptorists of the Denver Province email on 21 June 2013.

“Generosity…is humble, quiet, and persevering. It is patient and unobtrusive…it bears with everything gladly and without complaint because it no longer stops to reflect that there is anything to bear.”

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) Monastic Observances (Collegeville: Liturgical, 2010) 90.

“In our century, we think God is making us rich as a testimony to the world of how great God is blessing us. In reality, God blesses us so we will grow as givers, and be generous. We should be the most caring, sensitive, giving, most sacrificial and abundantly willing to respond to needy people in the world. We are to lovingly transfer the title of all we have back to God, the rightful Owner, and say to Him, “Lord, the more you bless me, the more I want to be generous and give to your kingdom.”

John S. Barnett in Discipline Yourself for Godliness (Tulsa: Müllerhaus Publishing, 2007) 143.

“There will be works of God exhibited through us, people will get blessed, and one or two will show gratitude while the rest will show total ingratitude, but nothing must divert us…”

Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) in My Utmost for His Highest (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 2008) reading for September 23.

Three things drew me to read from my Scottish roots in my daily office this morning. Incidentally, Oswald Chambers was a Scottish evangelist and the lines of both my parents trace our ancestry to Scotland.

First, I arrived safely home from the UK at about 1:30am this morning. To welcome me home Jenni had put up many balloons, one really made me smile. It reads: “There is a Doctor in the house!”

Second, I got a thoughtful email from my brother, David, which brought me to tears. His words recollected specific sacrifices our parents made for our Christian education. Nothing diverted them. His note dripped with gratitude.

Third, many are asking: What next? In reply, please know that I have no agenda. The PhD was not a stepping stone to something else. I remain committed to encouraging Christian generosity. Just like I had no idea where the research journey would take me, I have no idea what’s next. I leave that to God to sort.

What I do know is that now the real work begins.

My task is to continue to apply what I learned in my own life and simply share it with the world. That in and of itself may consume the remaining days God grants me. May nothing divert me, for my work does not end until the Lord Jesus says: “Well done!”

And may neither fame nor difficulty, triumph or trial, divert you as well!

“We are sent to war. We are not sent to minister to a congregation and be content if we keep things going. We are sent to make war…and to stop short of nothing but the subjugation of the world to the sway of the Lord Jesus.”

William Booth, 1829-1912 (founder of the Salvation Army in the slums of London, England), quote from 1878 as recounted by Trevor Yaxley in William & Catherine: The Legacy of the Booths (Bethany House Publishers, 2003).