Month: April 2020

Habits of Grace April 28, 2020

As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, Presiding Bishop Curry invites you to join him each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ A new meditation will be posted on Mondays through May. These meditations can be watched at any time by clicking here.

Meeting Jesus – A message from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

There’s an interesting pattern in some of the stories of the resurrection. In Luke 24, for example, some of the followers of Jesus are traveling from Jerusalem itself to the small village of Emmaus a few miles down the road. A stranger comes up to them, walks with them and carries on a conversation with them and all along, the stranger was Jesus raised from the dead. They didn’t recognize him. They didn’t see that it was Jesus until, as the Bible says, their eyes were open as if they turned and actually saw him in the breaking of the bread and saw him alive.

A similar thing happened to Mary Magdalene in the 20th chapter of John’s Gospel, where she is frantically running around looking for his body, and she comes up to someone she mistakes for the gardener in the cemetery. It’s actually Jesus raised from the dead. But again, she doesn’t recognize him until he speaks, “Mary,” the way he always said it and he says though she stopped, and you know how we say did a double take, turned and saw that it was Jesus and cried out, “Rabboni!” That pattern may well be reminding us who hear those stories generations after it all happened that the risen Christ, that the Lord Jesus, that our God, is actually walking with us even when we cannot see, feel or sense his presence. Sometimes we just have to stop, be still, and turn and behold.

Psalm 46 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. . . Though the mountains be toppled into the midst of the sea, God is our stronghold.”

Be still and know that I am God.

In a prayer in our prayer book, says much the same thing:

Oh God of peace who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength. By the might of thy spirit, lift us we pray thee to thy presence where we may be still and know that thou art God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jesus said at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, at the end of the messages about the resurrection, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God love you, God bless you and may God hold us all in those almighty hand of love.

Habits of Grace – a new series from the Episcopal Church Website

Habits of Grace April 20, 2020

Presiding Bishop Curry, Habits of Grace Series from Episcopal Website

The late professor Walter Wink, in one of his books, says that “History belongs to the intercessors who believe and pray a new future into being.” None of us know the mystery of prayer and how it works. I don’t know the intricacies of prayer’s mysteries. What I do know and believe, is that prayer makes a difference. It’s not a magic foot. It’s not a way to… It’s not a form of wish fulfillment, but it is a way of bringing our deepest needs and concerns and our very life into our consciousness and into the very presence of God.

There’s an interesting story in the eighth chapter of the Book of Revelation, just a few of the verses, where you have this swirling of events happening in history and a world in chaos and the text says, “There was silence in heaven for half an hour.” Walter Wink and others looking at that say that in its highly symbolic language, the Book of Revelation may be trying to tell us that even in the midst of all the chaos of the world, the prayers of God’s people actually make a difference. Because if you look at that small section of the first few chapters of chapter eight in Revelation, during that silence of heaven, it says that the prayers of the saints are mingled with the incense before the throne of God and that those prayers are taken right to God. God hears our prayers. God responds in God’s way and we respond.

Prayer matters. It’s not magic, but it makes a difference. There’s a prayer in the prayer book that I thought you might like. It’s a prayer for in times of sickness, for use by the sick person, but maybe it’s a prayer that can apply to us all.

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever shall be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. If I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words and give me the spirit of Jesus.

What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer. God love you. God bless you and may God hold you and this whole world, the entire human family and the whole of creation in those almighty hands of love.

Update on Expansion of Church – exciting news

To:Congregation of COS
From:Building Committee and Vestry
Subject:status of construction project (exciting news)
Date:April 15, 2020
  

If you have been by the Church in the last week, you would have seen construction fencing surrounding the perimeter of the Church.  That’s right, the long-awaited remodel of our Church has started!  The building permit application has been filed with Navajo County.  We expect review by the County will take 3-4 weeks.  Certain work can proceed prior to receiving the building permit.  That’s what is occurring currently. 

We have our General Contractor in place and he wants to start major work on remodel as soon as building permit is approved.  An estimate of building costs by our Contractor reflects costs of approximately $180,000.  The Building Committee expects this amount may rise as we review the needs of the Church once full construction has started.  The good news is that the current estimate includes a contingency for sprinkler fire suppressant system that is being required.

The Congregation has truly gotten behind this project.  To date we have approximately $164,000 in the bank.  In addition, we have approval for a bridge loan from the Diocese.  Pledge amounts for the construction continue to come into the Church.  Thank you all for your generous gifts to the exciting Church expansion.  While it is important that we continue to meet our day to day obligations of the Church, if you find you are able to add to the building fund it would be immensely appreciated.  You can contribute online by indicating your gift is for the building fund.

While this is indeed a very difficult time in our Nation’s history as we continue to shelter in place, and have Church services on-line, it does allow construction to begin without interrupting our normal services.  Please contact any member of the Building Committee or the Vestry with questions.  Again, thank you for your generous support of this project.

Leroy Johnson, and The Building (Expansion) Committee