Saturday – for the Green Team and for all Creation, for our ministries to Seniors, and for all on our Parish prayer list.

(click on Prayer Instructions for tips on saying Morning or Evening Prayer and online resources)

It is the feast day of William White, Bishop. Bishop White was the primary author of the constitution of the Episcopal Church when it was first established in the late 18th century. The way we elect bishops and the structure of General Convention were all basically developed by Bishop White. He went on to serve as the Presiding Bishop for 40 years (for a long time the Presiding Bishop was the senior bishop in the House of Bishops and served as PB until retirement or death. The PB is now elected for a 9 year term by the HoB). Bishop White played an enormous role in the Episcopal Church’s early years and we owe much to his leadership and foresight. The prayer below is the collect for his feast day, and as I prayed it I could not help but think of our PB elect, the Right Reverend Michael Curry, and the excitement many of us feel about his time as PB. We need his prophetic voice just as we needed Bishop White’s leadership and intelligence and dedication. Pray for Presiding Bishop Katharine and Presiding Bishop elect Michael, and all bishops. They need our prayers.

O Lord, who in a time of turmoil and confusion raised up your servant William White, and endowed him with wisdom, patience, and a reconciling temper, that he might lead your Church into ways of stability and peace: Hear our prayer, and give us wise and faithful leaders, that through their ministry your people may be blessed and your will be done; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer – Friday – Daughters of the King, Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Marthas, worship volunteers (acolytes, ushers and greeters, chalice bearers) and all over volunteer groups who work so tirelessly and joyfully for the Kingdom of God and the Body of Christ at St. Paul’s.

From the General Thanksgiving these familiar words stood out for me as I said Evening Prayer: We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. 

The means of grace…..the hope of glory….something to meditate on this evening. What do these words say to you? What are the “means of grace”? What do we mean by “glory”?

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer – Thursday – The people of Bondeau, Haiti, especially Pere Phanord, the school teachers and medical clinic volunteers, for our Cursillo community.

(click Prayer Instructions for links to Morning or Evening Prayer for today)

I had a whole other post ready for today, after I said Morning Prayer early this morning. But it disappeared into the cosmos somewhere. I would have said something about Pharisees and how we need to recognize in ourselves when we are “Pharisaic”. But circumstances of the day led me to reread Psalm 37 appointed for today, especially this part:

⁴Take delight in the Lord,*
and he shall give you your heart’s desire.
⁵Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him,*
and he will bring it to pass.
⁶He will make your righteousness as clear as the light*
and your just dealing as the noonday.
⁷Be still before the Lord *
and wait patiently for him.

This is about all I have to stand on today. I know it is enough. Some days it is just hard to see. If you are a praying person, your prayers for us are appreciated. I know God knows my heart’s desire and I am called to trust in him. Thanks for reading and praying with me.

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer – Wednesday – Paul’s Place after school program and the St. Paul’s Day School
Today I decided to say Evening Prayer for a little variety. Sitting on my balcony overlooking the intracoastal (yes I am blessed), trying to enjoy every minute I can as my time in South Florida winds down, and still reflecting on General Convention and the really good feeling I have about our church, I was thrilled to read tonight’s gospel from the 2nd chapter of Mark, which includes (hey, was this sentence long enough for you by the way?): 

22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”

Are you listening, people of God, people of the church? Fresh wineskins. Bring it.