"I believe in Christianity
as I believe that the sun has risen,
not only because I see it, but because
by it I see everything else."
C.S. Lewis, The Weight of
Glory
Today is the feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul.
This day we commemorate their martyrdom in Rome during the
persecution under Nero in 64. Peter and Paul didn't always see eye to eye.
In fact, at one point Paul rebuked Peter for behaving in an exclusionary
manner toward gentiles. Yet ultimately both men were martyred for their
faith. As a Roman citizen, Paul was entitled to the privilege of
being beheaded with the sword. Tradition says Peter was crucified upside
down.
The Collect for
Peter and Paul:
Almighty God, whose
blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that
your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in
unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is
Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Moving....Will it
ever end???
Recently while
in Sewanee, a friend who moved there a year ago told us that it has taken them
the better part of the year to settle in to their new home. I think this
is a realistic expectation...but it doesn't change the fact that I want to get
moved in and settled with the WEEK! Perhaps one of the things we have
learned from society over the years is the need to complete things - to have
them behind us before we go on to our next task. One of the things I have
learned is that transition is not something that ends: we continue to have
many transitions throughout our lives. Yet there is still this hope that
once we complete the transition we're in, we'll be able to breathe a sigh of
relief, and relax. As soon this is finished....as soon as that is
done....
Matthew 11:28 is perhaps one of the most well-known verses in the
Bible: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light." Burdens and weariness continue
through life, whether we have completed our current transition or not; it is the
nature of the world we live in. But we have the opportunity to find rest
in the midst of transition, chaos, and difficulty, through walking with Jesus -
to put on his yoke means to walk with him, as one ox is yoked to another.
The beauty of our faith is that we don't walk it alone.
Prayer of Abandonment
Father, I abandon myself into your hands:
Do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank
you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be
done in me,
And in all your creatures -
I wish no more than this,
Lord.
Into your hands I commend
my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart.
For I love you,
Lord, and so need to give myself,
To surrender myself into your hands,
Without reserve,
And with boundless confidence.
For you are my
Father.
Brother
Charles of Jesus
Debra's Mid-Week Meditation
Conflict Within
"15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do
the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do
what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin
that dwells within me. 18For I know that
nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right,
but I cannot do it. 19For I do not do
the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I
do."
Romans 7:15-19
"I can will what is right, but I cannot do it."
While it might seem that Paul has pronounced a hopeless situation for
humankind in these statements, I'm sure most of us can recognize our own
experience in this description of frustration.
How many times have we wanted to
say a kind and loving word only to find something mean coming out of
our mouths?
How many times have we promised to change behaviors only to find that
habits are very hard to break?
Paul is telling us here that while all we had was the law to govern our
behavior, we continued to fall into sin. The law, according to Paul,
simply isn't enough.
We need redemption!
We need the forgiveness of Christ and the strength of His resurrection so
that we might do what God wills and live in closer harmony with God's desire for
our lives.
Rather than a message of hopelessness, Paul's message gives us a glimpse
of the only Hope we can rely on--
The Love of God
through Christ
Jesus.
Blessings,
Debra
You might want to dip into the 2nd Chapter of NT Wright's book. The
chapter describes the world view of "Saul."
Wilt thou love God, as he
Thee! then digest,
My Soul, this wholesome meditation,
How God the
Spirit, by Angels waited on
In heaven, doth make his Temple in thy
breast.
The father having begot a Son most blest,
And still begetting,
(for he ne'r begonne)
Hath deigned to choose thee by adoption,
Co-heir to
'his glory, 'and Sabbath's endless rest.
and as a robbed man, which by search
doth find,
His stolen stuff sold, must lose or buy it again,
The Son of
glory came down, and was slain,
Us whom he had made, and Satan stolen, to
unbind.
'Twas much, that man was made like God before,
But, that God
should be made like man, much
more.
John Donne
Closing Prayers and Blessings:
St. James prayer list:
Laura and Lyle are now in Sewanee, and even brought lunch to
my husband Steve and daughter Francesca yesterday, as the truck was being
packed! Continue to pray for their transition.
Those in need of
healing and their families:
Dorothy Frank
David Philip Mercer Chloe
Heather
Jeffrey Sarah J.
Joel B. Anna B. Lelia G.
Lorraine Milt
Lauren S. Laurel
Natalie K. Karl
Maria R. Peggy K.
Rosemary Denise Pat Pat's
Mother Pastor Robert W. Groves
J.B.
Chase and Sandy Matty
Susan L. Marion J.
Alexis M. Tom
Thanks for your continued prayers
for my friend Rick. He and his wife Maria will be ordained to the
deaconate at 7:00 pm tonight. He has complete three weeks of chemo, and
they will evaluate whether his next step is more chemo or hospice.
Please continue to pray for grace, strength and healing.
Closing Prayer:
I weave a silence on to my lips
I weave a silence into my mind
I weave a silence within my heart
I
close my ears to distractions
I close my eyes to attractions
I close my
heart to temptations
Calm me, O Lord, as you stilled the storm
Still me,
O Lord, keep me from harm
Let all the tumult within me cease
Enfold me,
Lord, in your
peace.
David
Adam
Pax et
Bonum,
Loree+
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