Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always
resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those
who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever,
AMEN
Bless the Lord, Oh My
Soul...
One of the readings in the Daily Office this
week was Ps. 103. It is a familiar psalm to many -
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy
Name.
Bless the Lord, O my
soul, and forget not his
benefits.
He forgives all
your sins, and heals all your
infirmities;
He redeems your
life from the grave and crowns you with mercy and
loving-kindness;
He satisfies
you with good things, and your youth is renewed like the
eagle’s....
As I meditated on this psalm, I found myself overwhelmed with the
goodness and love of God. It is easy for us to get so busy with the
things life hands to us that we forget the basis of our existence as Christians
– that God is merciful, that God in his love sent his Son Jesus Christ to redeem
us from sin and restore us to fellowship with God. We get focused on
what is right in front of us, and become somewhat spiritually near-sighted.
In reality, within the day-to-day crises and challenges we all face, God
is with us, redeeming us, forgiving us, healing us, giving us good
things....
So much of life is a matter of perspective. If we
remember God’s overarching purpose, to bring us to Himself, the other things
that occur are bearable, and, indeed, often end up to be blessings. If our
focus is on the problem at hand, we often lose sight of the fact that God is
there to give us the strength and peace we need.
How does Psalm
103 translate for people living on a freeway in what used to be New Orleans?
I can’t answer that, because any answer I would give would be inauthentic
– I haven’t had to live that scenario. I can thank God that my family is
safe – I can pray for those who are suffering so greatly, I can give toward the
financial need of thousands....and perhaps later I can do other things to help,
when those needs have been clarified. In the meantime, I can live in
a state of gratitude for God’s continued blessing – for the fact that more lives
weren’t lost, for the giving nature of those involved in the rescue, for each
person who is still alive in New Orleans. I have much to be thankful
for. The psalm is addressed to the hearer – the singer, if you will.
The admonition is for us to tell our own souls to bless the Lord – not to
tell others to do it ..each of us create our own responses to life. The
psalm reminds me that no matter what life brings, we can be thankful for God’s
mercy.
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great
kindness.
He will not always accuse us, nor will he keep his anger for
ever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us
according to our wickedness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so
is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the
west, so far has he removed ours ins from us.
As a father cares for his
children, so does the Lord care for those who fear
him.
Psalm
103:8-13
Blessed are those who in serving thy
church
Edward
Tyler
remember that they are serving
thee.
Blessed are those who in doing charity
remember that they are giving to thee.
Blessed
are those who as they savor the good fruits of the
earth
remember from whose hand they received them.
AMEN
Debra’s Mid-Week Meditation
"We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to
ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord;
so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end
Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the
living.
Romans 14:7-9
This is the image of Hurricane Katrina that I hold in my
heart.
Amid the stories and
blamings and horrors of the past weeks, this, the crucified Christ is at the
heart of the storm.
Paul reminds us that whatever we do, whatever state we find ourselves in;
whether we are refugees or rescuers, even the living or the dead--
we belong
to Christ.
We belong to the Christ who lived with us and died among us and then rose
to save us.
We belong to the
God, who is even now in the heart of swirling
muck,
at refugee centers and on hot
bridges.
Our God does not oversee disaster from on high.
Our God gets in the
middle of it, lives in and through it with
us.
Jesus the Christ, the living God, now needs us to be hands and legs and
hearts.
How is God calling you to respond to His beloved sons and
daughters?
Blessings, Debra
Loving
God, I offer open hands, open mind, open heart,
from “A Guide to Retreat”
and
a willing spirit to hear continually your calling and sending voice.
I
abandon my life and service into your care with the
assurance
that you will lead me in paths of
righteousness and goodness.
Daily Morning Prayer
http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html
This week at St.
James
10:00
Godly Grill to Collington Square – meet at 9:00 in church parking
lot
Thursday, 9/8: 4:00 Graveside service for Wally
Dow
Friday, 9/9: 5:00 – 7:30
Confirmation meeting with Padre Wes at Immanuel, Glencoe
Saturday: 9/10
9:00 Daughters of the
King
10:00
Eucharist for Daughters of the King and the Pastoral Care Community in the
meditation Chapel
Sunday: 9/11 9:00 service
resumes
10:15
Sunday School
resumes
11:45
Youth Focus
meeting
1:00
– 4:00 Church and Academy Picnic
Tuesday, 9/13 Vestry
meeting, 7:30 pm
Wednesday 9/14 Holy Cross Day – Communion and Healing at
8:30 in the meditation chapelPrayers etc.
Chloe
Sarah J.
Vallie L.
Anna B. Lelia G.
Margaret
Jeffrey
Natalie K. Mary Anne S.
Matty
Henry H.
We continue to pray for the victims of Hurricane Katrina- and for those
who serve them.
Prayer needs from St. James:
Those in need
of healing and their families:
Joel B.
Susan L.
Nancy B.
Rosemary MS
Gloria C.
Aris
Charles
Dave
Paul & Fritz
Uncle Bob
O.
Maria R. Earl C.
David W.
Charlie M. Ellie
Linda S.
JB, Heather,
Chase & Sandy,
Rose B. and her
children
In Closing
Hear us, O hear us Lord; to thee
Thine ear to our sighs, tears, thoughts gives voice
and word.
A sinner is more music, when he
prays,
than spheres, or angels praises be,
In
panegyric alleluias;
hear us,
for till thou hear us,
Lord
we know not what to
say;
O Thou who Satan heard in Job’s sick day,
John
Donne
Hear thyself now, for thou is
us dost pray.
Now may God the
father bless you, God the son heal you, God the Holy Spirit give you strength.
May God the holy and undivided Trinity guard your body, save your soul,
and bring you safely to his heavenly country, where he lives and reigns forever
and ever. AMEN
Pax et Bonum,
Loree+
