The online worship resource for St. James Parish
The heavens declare the glory of God,
And the firmament shows his handiwork
Psalm 19
Behold the Beauty….And the firmament shows his handiwork
Psalm 19
Often as I drive through the area, I find myself rejoicing at the beauty that surrounds us.
We are blessed to live in such a beautiful area. Each day is a feast for the eyes, and as the eyes are the window to the soul, a feast for the soul as well.
Take time this week to give thanks for the beauty of our world, the wonders that God has done. Give thanks for each blessing in your life even for the things that don't seem like blessings at the time! You will find your heart lifted as you do so.
Wilt thou love God, as he thee! Then digest,
My Soule, this wholesome meditation,
How God the Spirit, by Angels waited on
In heaven, doth make his Temple in thy brest.
John Donne
John Donne,My Soule, this wholesome meditation,
How God the Spirit, by Angels waited on
In heaven, doth make his Temple in thy brest.
John Donne
Friday is the feast day of John Donne poet, theologian, preacher, and sinner. Donne's early life was characterized by debauchery and easy living. He was born Roman Catholic in 1573, during the reign of Elizabeth I. He was educated at both Oxford and Cambridge, eventually took a law degree, conformed to the Established Church (Anglican church) for political reasons, and embarked on a promising political career. His secret marriage to the daughter of the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal put an end to his political career, when the truth came out.
Somewhere during this time, Donne had a profound experience of conversion, and eventually took orders in the Anglican Church. He eventually ended up as Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral. Donne was considered one of the best preachers of his time. One of his sermons holds his immortal words: Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls: it tolls for thee.
Donne's poetry reflects his passion for Christ, and his struggles with accepting the forgiveness of God. To his death he considered himself a great sinner, saved only by the mercy of the One who died for him.
Collect for John Donne:
Almighty God, the root and fountain of all being:
Open our eyes to see, with your servant John Donne, that whatever has any being is a mirror in which we may behold you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.
O Saviour, as thou hang'st upon the tree;
I turne my back to thee, but to receive
Corrections, till thy mercies bid thee leave.
O thinke mee worth thine anger, punish mee,
Burne off thy rusts, and my deformity,
Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace,
That thou may'st know mee, and I'll turne my face.
From "Good Friday, 1613"
Debra's Midweek Meditation
"...this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Jeremiah 31:33
Two weeks ago Moses presented God's laws to the people written on stone; this week Jeremiah is telling the people that God desires to write His laws in our hearts.
No longer do we have to look to the chisel marks of human hands to know what to do--we need to look to our hearts.
These hearts that Jeremiah is talking about are not our affections, or our desires, but the very essence of being.
In other words, the "heart of the matter."
So, how do we study the heart?
We listen to the Word of God, and let it soak into the center of who we are. We let the stories about God's people become our stories too.
There is no escaping the need that Christian folk have for familiarity with the scripture. It is our family album. Within it are the roots and branches of our own faith family.
Used as a devotion, scripture tunes our hearts to the song that God is already singing within us and within our communities.
On April 5th, 7 p.m., at Ashland, we will have a chance to learn lectio divina- which means divine reading.
Silence and scripture give space for God to move through words and into our hearts.
We may be surprised by what we learn. We may be surprised at the song we are now singing and the harmonies that God is longing to sing with us.
Sing with the Lord, a new song.
Blessings,
Debra
Daily Morning Prayer
http://www.episcopalchurchingarrettcounty.org/morning_prayer.htm
The Sonne
O Sonne of God, who seeing two things,
Sinne, and death crept in which were never made,
By bearing one, tred'st with what stings
The other could think heritage invade;
O be thou nail'd unto my heart,
And crucified againe,
Part not from it, though it is from thee would part,
But let it be, by applying so thy paine,
Drown'd in thy blood, and in thy passion slaine.
Donne, from "A Litanie"
This Week at St. James:
Tonight: 6:30 Lenten Soup Supper
7:00 Bishop Rabb will be our guest teacher
There will be a book table with books, icons, etc. from St. Bede's set up after the meditation.
Thursday: 5:15 Seafarer's Harbor cruise
Saturday: 9:00 Daughters of the King study group
Don't forget to set your clocks forward!
Sunday: 10:15 Youth Breakfast
11:45 Inquirer's Class
11:45 Sunday School Teacher's meeting
Tuesday: 7:00 Pre-Convention Parish Meeting
Wednesday: 8:30 Holy Eucharist/Healing
6:30 Lenten Soup Supper
7:00 Contemplative Eucharist w/Charlie+
Prayers Etc.
For those on our prayer list:
Ellie Anna Nancy Tony Joel Arabella
Tamara Owen Kent Jeffrey Brittany Jason
David Debbie Lovisah Leib & Carlyn Jewell
Keith Sue Ron Cathy Jack Alice
Bart Justin Bernie Jan Nancy Betsey
Hannah Bill Gavin Brian Lilly
Our seminarian Laura and her husband Lyle
All those who are deployed.
In Closing:
Batter my heart, three person'd God; for, you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow mee, 'and bend
Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to'another due,
Labour to'admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weake or untrue.
Yet dearely'I love you,'and would be loved faine,
But am betroth'd unto your enemie:
Divorce mee, 'untie, or breake that knot againe,
Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I
Except you'entrall mee, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish mee.
- John Donne
Father,
may our Lenten observance
prepare us to embrace the paschal mystery
and to proclaim your salvation with joyful praise.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
one God, for ever and ever.
Pax et Bonum,
Loree+
<- Back to Parish News