Standing Orders February 22, 2026

Standing Orders
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
St. Peter’s Anglican Church
February 22, 2026

Five and a half years ago, I arrived for my first visit to St. Peter’s. Father Jack had retired and Bishop Gillin had the responsibility of providing clergy every week for St. Peter’s.

A year earlier, I had finished almost 3 years as the Interim Rector at St. John’s By-the-sea in Ventnor, New Jersey, by the appointment of the Ordinary … Bishop Hicks, who some of you know

By the way … a bit of trivia … I was his first Pastor in the REC and then he became my Pastor.

My time at St. John’s was special because that was where I was ordained Deacon in 1985 … and to this day … I still think it is the most beautiful church buildings in our Diocese … but … that’s for another time.

After the Bishop called, I asked if he would want someone more permanent at St. Peter’s and I told him I would be interested. So the Bishop appointed me Interim Rector.

I announced it that following Sunday … and it’s funny the things that you remember … Diane Lopez clapping when I announced it!
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Through the years, I’ve had a lot of great memories.

I remember Diana’s faith when she announced that she had cancer and then the celebration when the Lord called her home.

I remember my visits with Bill Manlove because he was unable to be in attendance and then assisting in his funeral … with a full church!

And then the service for Sister Thomas Anne … again full.

I have had the privilege now of attending to the needs of Nanny and John Lopez.

Words cannot express my thanks for your continued support during the health issues that I had … and during the illness of my Rachel … and finally her being called home.

A special thank-you to Father John for stepping in when needed …

As I think back … even though you didn’t choose me … from the moment I arrived all of you have made me feel welcome … as someone pointed out … I wasn’t thought of as an “Interim” Rector.

What I am most thankful for is the privilege of serving your spiritual needs.

This past Christmas, in the card that I received with your generous gift, someone wrote, “thank you for helping us be better Christians.”

And I thought … that’s what it’s all about! That’s why I was here. That’s what God called me to do!

I am going to miss you all … but it is time … God’s time!
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As I was thinking about this last sermon … what could I leave you with?

What could I preach on to prepare you as St. Peter’s begins it’s next season of ministry?

And so I thought of a short passage that has been called the Standing Orders of the Church:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 — three very short verses:

““Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.””

Three imperatives … three commands … three exhortations … and then … the justification for these three commands.

These are NOT options for us as Christians.

These are NOT commands for super-spiritual Christians.

These are commands of how we — as Christians in general — are to live each and every day of our lives here on earth.

These are mandatory activities for EVERY Christian … for EVERYONE who believes in the Gospel … that Jesus died in our place for our sins …

““Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.””

The first thing that we see is this call to keep on rejoicing … with the clear indication that our joy is not reserved for special occasions or circumstances.

Those of us that believe in Christ as Savior and Lord … are to be people that are always rejoicing.

There is to be joy in our lives … the joy of Christ … that is to be evident to those around us.

In my mind there’s nothing worse than a professing Christian who acts like Eeyore in the Winnie Pooh books … always saying “woe is me.” … or like someone walking around with the proverbial dark cloud above their head.

The text says ““Rejoice always”” … but grammatically it says ““always rejoicing.””

This is the standard for us — as Christians — always rejoicing even in spite of all that is going on in our lives … in our families … in our world …

In other words … our joy is NOT based on changing circumstances.

I have told you before that there are only two kinds of people in the world … those who know Christ as Savior and Lord — that is, Christians … and those who do not know Christ.

And we know Christ as Savior and Lord because of what God has done.

It’s not because we have prayed a prayer … or raised our hands … or went forward to call …

NO … it is because of what God has done … it is because God has called us out of darkness into the light of His salvation.

We know that God chose the Jews as His own special people and this is what we read about in the Old Testament.

As the children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land, this is what Moses said to the people:

““For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you.””

Notice clearly … it is what the Lord God did … out of his love.

In 1 Peter 2:9-10, we see this same love of God applied to us as Christians, where Peter uses the exact same words used to describe Israel.

““But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.””

This is why we are to: “Rejoice Always.”

I have quoted many times from Ephesians 1, where Paul tells us what God has done:

““Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,””

Again … notice clearly … it is what God has done!

As a result of God choosing us we then have a multitude of blessings … we have redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ … the forgiveness of our sins … the privilege of prayer … knowing that we are never alone … we are united with Christ … and the many other blessings of our salvation!

Before God chose us, we were dead … dead in our sins as we read clearly in Ephesians 2:1: ““And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,””

Again … this is why the Christian is commanded to rejoice always … and I will go even further … that it is a sin to not rejoice.

As I said … the Christian’s joy is not dependent on our circumstances … it is based solely on our relationship to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes … life can be tough … life can be filled with trouble … but as Christians we belong to God through the Lord Jesus Christ … and we are part of his family.

AND … we know that end of the story … as we are told in our namesakes first letter … 1 Peter 1:3,4 & 9:

““Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you … (9) receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.””

This is what we have as Christians … salvation of our souls … and a place reserved in heaven!

““Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.””

The 2nd command is that we are to pray without ceasing.

Obviously … this does NOT mean that we are to always be on our knees with the Book of Common Prayer open before us and the list of things that we are to pray for … telling others around us … don’t bother me … I’m praying!

To pray without ceasing means that prayer should be way of life for us … a natural outgrowth of our faith.

We need to be constantly talking to God in all situations …

We know that different aspects of prayer that are appropriate in the different circumstance of our lives … adoration … praise … confession … supplication …. thanksgiving …

And when those circumstances dictate … there needs to be praying without ceasing.

Yes … we need to have specific times of prayer … times that we set apart to get alone with God.

As we read in the book Hebrews: ““Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.””

I am reminded of Daniel … when his enemies deceived the king to sign a law that no one could offer petitions to anyone other than the king Darius or be throne to the lions.

And what do we read about Daniel:

““Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.””

Daniel didn’t hide what he was doing … he could have prayed in private … but NO — he opened windows … he knelt down … not once … not twice … but three times …

And we read: ““as was his custom since early days.””

Praying was a way of life for Daniel.

God knows everything … He knows all our needs … He knows what’s going on in our lives and in our families … He knows our financial situation … and in our world.

He knows the number of hairs on our head.

So … we are not really telling Him anything new.

Praying without ceasing … recognizes that we are dependent on God … prayer recognizes OUR need for Him.

Remember … we are in a spiritual battle … the enemy is raging war all around us … and yes … within us.

And one of the weapons that God has given us to have victory in this spiritual battle is prayer.

When we pray without ceasing … it’s really all about God …

When we think about it … the situations that we find ourselves in should be triggers of prayer …

When we get up in the morning … thank God for another day …

When we go to our places of employment … thank God for our jobs …

When we sit down to eat … thank God for the food before us …

When we arrive at our destinations … thank God for a safe arrival …

When temptation arises … pray for deliverance.

The opportunities and occasions for prayer are endless.

And so … pray without ceasing.

The third command is “in everything give things.”

EVERYTHING … not most things … not the big things … not the special things … EVERYTHING!

In all of the circumstances of life … we are to give thanks.

We note that there is a difference between gratitude and thanksgiving.

Gratitude is an emotion … it is a feeling based on circumstances.

Thanksgiving is the expression of that gratitude.

Psalm 107:1 says: ““ Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.””

If we honestly think about it … and yes I am repeating myself … the very fact of our salvation and our relationship to God … and what HE has done … gives us a reason for continual thanksgiving.

Colossians 1:13-14 tells us what God has done: ““He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.””

In our salvation … we have it all.

Again … remember that I said there were two kinds of people … and as those chosen by God and adopted into His family … we have everything to be thankful for.

Matthew Henry … the great Puritan writer was robbed one day … and that evening he listed the reasons why he could still give thanks … he said:

“Let me be thankful, first, because he never robbed me before; second, because although he took my purse, he did not take my life; third, because although he took all I possessed, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

… ““in everything give thanks””

And as these Standing Orders conclude we see the justification and reason we should ““Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;””

— ““for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.””

The obligation that we have as Christians … in response to all that God has done for us is to ““Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;””

The privilege that we have as Christians … in response to the love that God has poured out on us in Christ Jesus is that we should ““Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;””

— ““for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.””

My friends … if we know Christ as Savior and Lord … we have everything!

We have forgiveness of our sins … we have a place reserved in heaven for us … we have the privilege of worship … the privilege of prayer … we are no longer open to the wrath and judgement of God … and so therefore we can and must: ““Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;””

And in doing so … we are witnesses to a world that needs what we have.
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It is my prayer that all who are gathered here this morning truly know Christ as Savior and Lord … and if not … remember what they Scriptures say … believe on the Lord Jesus Christ … and you will be saved!
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St. Peter’s is about to begin it’s next season of ministry … but that ministry is done by all of you … the members and friends of St. Peter’s who live out their Christian lives each and every day.

As you ““Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;”” … you will show others … in your families … in your places of employment … in your neighborhoods … the love of God in Christ Jesus.

And so … let us live the Standings Orders of the church in our lives … ““Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.””