On the Mark July 18th 2010

By Fr. Christopher P. Leighton, July 18, 2010 7:00 am

A. I.

As a parent and pastor I have held to the opinion that being smart is not enough.  I believe in applied intelligence.  It is not enough to have the answers, or the knowledge, or even the wisdom, it all has to be applied.  I call it A.I. or Applied Intelligence.

What good is it to be the smartest person in the class but not to be able to apply what you know through words and, especially, through action?  Who cares if you are “the brain” at work if you can’t demonstrate it?  What does it mean to have knowledge of the scriptures if it doesn’t show itself in the way you serve God and others?

Jesus said “Why do you call me Lord but don’t do what I say.” [Luke 6:46] The Apostle James said, “We must be doers and not just hearers of the Word”. [James 1:22].

Which leads me to explain why I have chosen for the next seven weeks a preaching series on the Book of Revelation.  There has always been interest in the subject of the Apocalypse.  In recent years the “Left Behind” series has sold dozens of millions of copies.  Any book store – Christian or secular – has shelves full of writings on the End of the World. 

Since the book of Revelation speaks of the end of the world although it was written nearly 2000 years old and “the end has not yet come”, what is the purpose of studying it and applying it to the lives of the followers of Christ?  This question is particularly answered by studying chapters two and three, the letters to the seven churches.  Each church receives an epistle from the glorified Christ calling them to put into action what they know.  It is interesting that five of the seven churches are severely criticized.  Only two are commended for living up to what they believe.

Regardless of whether Jesus returns this year or in a later century, there is still so much for us to know and to apply.  Let’s read God’s word together and put it into practice.  It is called applied intelligence.

Your brother in Christ,

Christopher

The Rev. Christopher P. Leighton

Rector

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