A Reflection on Conversion

 

En lieu of a sermon by me on the evil of Big Ag and our poisoned food supply, here's a reflection on John 6 by an old friend. He's a retired Anglican priest and onetime Oxford Blue (pistol).

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44

This verse from the Gospel for today has me thinking about conversion. I believe passionately in the need for personal conversion. It is a personal choice to follow Jesus. It is a personal choice to accept his atoning sacrifice on the Cross for the sin of the whole world. It is a personal choice to serve God in this world. Nobody just drifts into the Kingdom of God. The verse above is clear; it is God who has taken the initiative.

That initiative of God is to “draw” a person to Christ. It is God the Holy Spirit who “draws” us to consider Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Son, the “perfect sacrifice for the sin of the whole world.” It is God who “draws” us. We are then personally called to respond. Sadly, most will go their own way. Remember the rich young man? “Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. But he was deeply dismayed by these words, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.” (Mark 10:21-22)

I have experienced this “drawing” since I was young. I found that I wanted to be around people of faith. The Bible seemed always to speak to me. I loved worship in chapel at school. The Psalms and hymns spoke to me. I have always had a yearning to get closer to God. I believe I was being “drawn” and found ways to respond. That is even more so since I heard a clear call to the priesthood in 1967, at a Billy Graham Crusade in London. However, the “drawing” was, in retrospect, evident much earlier. In my opinion the key is how we respond. Do we say “yes” or do we turn away?

Conversion is a gift of Grace. As one who has found Jesus and the Gospel completely irresistible, I am amazed how many respond negatively to Jesus. Our sinfulness and need of God, our need of a savior, seem to me to be incontrovertible. At the end of John 6 we will read “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:66) The twelve disciples did not reject Jesus, though one would go on to betray him.

Conversion is also a process of responding every day to God who “draws” us.  As followers of Jesus, we are offered constantly, daily, the choice to follow or not to follow, Jesus.

I pray for people to follow Jesus. God is always calling – calling each of us, all of us. Come, follow me, says Jesus. May we all hear that call of God amidst the noise of this world.

In his irresistible love, Fr Ian

 

I was moved by that and hope you find it helpful,

LSP

Shoot The Glock

So you get up, shower, say your prayers, walk the dog and buy a coffee from the local pick 'n steal, then you visit the sick; congratulations, you're on task, but what next?  Get out in the field and shoot, obviously.

I chose a Glock 21 because I like it, you might favor another weapon, like a .357 Magnum and that's fine. There's no rule. 

Targets were simple. A steel turkey at around 50 yards, steel plates at 25 and a Gatorade bottle wherever I felt like putting it. Fine, but did I still know how to shoot? Good question.

In the end, yes, but it took about half a box of cheap Federal .45 ACP to get back in the swing of things. BOOM. Tink. Down goes the turkey and BOOM, take that, Gatorade bottle as you fly through the air. The steel plates met their match too, once I'd warmed up. Boom, tink, swing.

Satisfying and, for me at least, exciting. There's something about the explosive power of a handgun that gets the adrenaline up, big fun. Still, if you plan on hitting your target you'd better practice. I reminded myself of that today.

Of course all this is banned in England, but not to worry, Brits. Nanny State will protect you.

Gun rights,

LSP

Patron Saint of Handgunners

Today's Sunday, so let's not forget the Patron Saint of handgunners, Gabriel Possenti, whose Feast was yesterday, February 27.

Possenti saved a village from a gang of bandits in 1860:

Possenti found the gang about to rape a young woman, and ordered them to set her free. When they refused to obey, Possenti yanked two pistols out of the soldiers' holsters. (According to Mr. Paolo Tagini, who edits the Italian firearms magazine, Armi Magazine, the weapons likely were 1851 Colt Navy Model six-shot revolvers in .36 caliber or imitations thereof.) At that moment, a lizard ran across the road. Gabriel Possenti took aim, fired and killed it with one shot. Then, he turned his weapons toward the gang which, surprised and shocked, left the village.

Well done, handgun saint, for protecting the life and liberty of those villagers. That'd be illegal in England, where the State will protect you, except when it doesn't.

Gabriel Possenti, pray for us,

LSP

Good Day Against the Clay

Skeet

Urged on by belligerent open carry posts and a break in the icy blast that is climate change, I span out to the fields for some head-to-head action with our ancient enemy, White Flyer skeet. I shot reasonably well, partly because I remembered to aim, which helps when you're shooting things. Just a lot of shotgun fun, blasting the clays out of the sky.

Tailgating

After that I turned on the next opponent, a circular steel plate, swinging threateningly from a metal trestle. I shot that any number of times with a Beretta PX4 Storm .45, mostly from around 18 or 20 yards. Pure explosive enjoyment and something I need to do more of, especially now that .45 ACP has gone down in price.

Beretta PX 4

For me, shooting is for sport, and it's a good one too. For others it's also a matter of self-defense; I guess they'd be "Chaplain's Assistants."

gunman

Shoot safe and God bless,

LSP