After a very full Saturday at St. Simon’s, I am headed to join the good folks of Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Pensacola this morning as guest leader for their stewardship program.
Yesterday, in addition to the Blessing of the Animals and our regular Saturday evening service, we celebrated the life of Tina Beukenkamp with over 70 of her family members and many of the good folks of St. Simon’s. Quite a few family and friends made the trip from Tina’s native Netherlands! She was 103 years old and one of the most amazing people I have ever had the privilege to meet. Her memorial service was absolutely wonderful. They are a very musical family, in fact several family members sang in our choir, including a handful of her great grandchildren! The music was perfect for Tina and I know she would have loved it all.
Using the Mission St. Clare app today for Morning Prayer, the app included the Collect for the Church, appropriate for Sunday and as I journey to be with a different church this morning. It is a prayer all of us in the church can offer for sure. By the way, “holy Catholic Church” in the prayer simply refers to all the Christian church, the “church universal”. I leave you with this prayer.
For the Church
Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.
In the St. Simon’s Cycle of Prayer: Sunday –Pray for our worship services and all who will attend. Pray for the Altar Guild and all Worship Leaders and Acolytes. Pray for the choir and music director and organist.
Thank you David for writing your blog this week encouraging the Daily Office. I had lapsed on it over this summer and I am building resolve to get back on track now. Technically, I don’t exactly pray the Daily Office because I have a mix – reading the Forward Day by Day message and lessons, parts of Mission St Clare, and a few of my favorite BCP prayers. As I learned from you, I have them on my phone. I love that Mission St Clare has hymns and like many of their eclectic mix, especially the traditional ones and the beautiful melodies and harmonies in the Mennonite ones. I also like the suffrages and rotation of prayers they choose.
I have enjoyed reading your posts this week! Morning Prayer is such a beautiful ritual!!