The Last Wednesday Before Holy Week

We had set up and tested a Laptop to ensure the audio was recording properly. It was! Then, the Computer restarted itself to install updates and wiped out the file.

Sorry Folks... but here are the sermon notes for you. I know reading notes can be tedious..but here goes.

Talk Five: God In Us, Revealed in Us

Sermon Notes

A Reflection on the Mystery of God, and the Connection of The Incarnation. We begin with a well Known Passage:
Romans 8:38-39  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Look at you own EXPIERIENCE  now and...ask yourself "Am I fully persuaded?"

As Christians we proclaim that:
1. God  created us , and
 2.He lived within us and with  from the very beginning ,prior to our developing language, beliefs religions or sacraments.

  A simple definition of mystery is : that it is that which cannot be understood. Personally I have come to that see mystery is a gift ,a gift of God that is deep, elusive, and worth seeking.

 I know that it is too rich and beautiful to be understood, and yet:
 at the deepest level, and  through the Grace of Christ we do understand  the beauty and truth.

Mystery is only Visible through REVELATION

Revelation is  a  transcendental experience   through which our present limitedness, shortcomings and mortality  is illuminated by God's revealing of Himself

It is possible  to sense Revelation because we are wired to long for something deeper.

If God created us, and our purpose is found in Him,surely he has a right to have a say in the purpose for each life.

Without revelation we live the Inauthentic Life therefore

 He referred to the authentic life as- being transformed by the reality and purpose of God.

The  starting point for any persons spiritual journey comes from our own experiences. It is there that we have the basic experience of God that we can recognise, make choices  and begin the journey to where we are now.

The question .."Do I really believe?"  is made harder because today's scientific and secular climate is very effective at suppressing encounters between wonder and mystery.
For us  postmodern people,  believing that there is a supernatural presence in the universe is pretty tough. Our universe is not inherently magical, as it was for people of old.

1.Science tells us that we are alone, so we have to create that which is "Awesome" ourselves.
This leaves us  Feeling alone, confused, and doubtful.

2.Science tells us that our world is beautiful and interesting, but everything can be explained.  Spiritually speaking the world is inert and empty. We have to create all meaning by ourselves in such a world, and most of us do not seem to succeed very well.

 But here we are in 2013. We are caught in the tension of the modern world, and knowing the revealed truth about Gods Love God calls us  to have faith and courage, before knowledge. The world says otherwise.

Let me leave you with some Positive Incarnational Thinking

More  and more  we are discovering that physics, astrophysics, anthropology, and biology, are confirming many of the deep intuitions of religion.
1.The universe really is vibrant and in motion.
2.We have greater understandings of history, instinct, evolution, nuclear fusion, DNA, healing, growth....

 It is  an undisputed fact that nature clearly continues to renew itself and evolve from within.
 Creation is an ongoing process! God is "in it" and God is "With Us"

Personally I am more sure than ever in the reality of Creation, and that God has created things that  in turn , because of ( The mystery of the Incarnation ) continue to create and recreate themselves from the inside out.

Let me share a couple Images of that thought:

Ecclesiastes 3:11 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

God has created, and keeps creating.
    Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.” (Jer. 23:24)

That is "Mysterious Incarnation"

Now on to Ephesians 1:23
 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.  

In my heart and in my life experience , I have knowledge that all of this is revealed through Jesus.
  We are created with an inner drive and necessity that sends all of us out looking for our True Self, whether we know it or not.  We need an awakening and light to find our way, because the Journey does get very dark.

We are not walking alone. Our  Lord walks side by side with us.

Because God created us with an inner restlessness and a call that urges us onward into risky places   , Jesus came and shows us that  darkness is never the whole story, and that we are never abandoned.  

I Pray that the the movement of your faith will bring you to a place where you will KNOW   that our Hope is something substantial, real, and eternal. 

You are called to Love Deeply.

You are Called to accompany people through the mysteries of Life and death 

You are called to receive and share the gift of genuine life-changing awe before The Gifts of God, which is His mystery, time, beauty. 

Monday March 18 Just after Passion Sunday

Yesterday was the Fifth Sunday in Lent.
Known as Passion Sunday

• As always, the Sunday schedule at the Cathedral was diverse and full.
• We begin every Sunday with the celebration of a traditional Eucharist from the book of Common Prayer.
• The 10:30 service and our 7:00 evening services focused on family and on a sharing of the gifts of our young people.
• Yesterday afternoon at 2:00 there was a celebration of Holy Communion at Golden Legion Manor.

The Morning Service:

Our Jr. and Youth Choirs shared their talents once again.
These choirs are under the direction of Mr. Shawn Wiseman,who lovingly and patiently works with the diversity of ages in the choirs to develop both their talents and spirituality.
They are fantastic singers!


Yesterday morning at the family service we were reminded that

Although Lent was almost over, we still have time to change!

The address was focused on being honest with ourselves, each other and with God.

To do so is to allow God's Spirit to work with us for our benefit. When we grow,God's purpose for us is realized.

The talk was occasioned by Revd. John telling a story of how he put a hole in the wall of the house he grew up in while his father was at work.

Trying to conceal the damage only worked for a while...and it wasn't until all was revealed that the situation could be resolved!

Let's be honest with ourselves

                      Let's be honest with Others

                                            Let's be honest with God

At the family service our young people do all of the readings and prayers,and opportunity is given for the beginnings of all kinds of ministry of the word.
 It is not unusual for people to applaud after a child proclaims the Word publicly for the first time.



Following the offertory,our Vestry was joined by other supporting leaders in the Chancel,to offer themselves for another year of devoted ministry. We thank God for each of them!

The Evening Service
Gander was in the midst of the Kiwanis Festival last week.
It was as always, a time of incredible hard work by the Kiwanis volunteers;but it accomplishes much on many different levels.
Some of the Churches in Gander offer their buildings as venues for the many acts,songs,speeches and technical tests. It brings people together ,it challenges us to excellence,and causes us to celebrate the creative spirit that God has planted within us.

Last evening we held our annual Post Kiwanis Event,where young people can come and share their talents with the Church. We were blessed greatly last evening!

St. Martin's has been blessed in the way people have responded to our mission statement :

To be a family of worshipping Christians; where the faith is taught –where people of all ages can grow in love and commitment to Christ in an atmosphere of caring, sharing, loving and respect for all persons; - where opportunity is provided for witness and service in the wider community.

 

Providing opportunities for ministry is a great challenge today. The creation of ministry opportunities in itself requires much time and energy; then,people have to be trained,supported and encouraged by the results of their efforts.

All this in the middle of very full schedules!
When people come forward,and we see their gifts in action...some great things happen!

At. St. Martin's we are very observant and respectful of artistic rights and the need for licensing!

Pictures and audio of the service cannot be published online due to copyright law, but what we have will be shared with the families on request.We do not post pictures without permission from individuals!

25th Day of Lent

Today is Wednesday March 13
It is the 25th day of Lent.
Our Day at St. Martin's began around 7:00 a.m. I arrived at the Church to say a few prayers for the Day,the Kiwanis participants and for whatever the Holy Spirit would place in my Heart.
My lent has been "Shadowed"  by

1. Getting the parish  focused on the  what happens now" after the annual meeting
2. Getting ready to engage our new vestry in future planning.
3. Using our Ministry resources and Staff to the benefit of our Father's Kingdom
4. Keeping the momentum of the Confirmation Class (and other groups in the Church)
5. Standing with those who are sick, wounded and hurting
6. Wanting to Make Holy Week Count..when everyone seems to be heading in a different direction...Florida...Cuba...Punta Cana
7. Trying to be a blessing to as many as possible.
8. Yada Yada Yada.....
9. Trying not to get too tired...

St. Martin's is one of the Communities hosting the Kiwanis. Pretty much all of this morning voices will declare Gods creativity,as young people accompanied by their over worked  and much loved teachers will share their gifts for the benefit of those gathered and the all important adjudicators.
What a wonderful time we have been given. God bless the Kiwanians for all they do!

Some Notes about what our young folks are up to:

Next Saturday Evening

 

we will be at the Church from 7:00 – 8:30 to receive your donations for the Confirmation Class Almsgiving event. 

 

 

Bake Sale on Sunday!  The sale of these items will take place following the morning service next Sunday!.

Remember, this event is not a sale in the traditional sense.

The Confirmation students are providing us with an opportunity to donate generously, simply for the sake of giving to God.

The items will NOT be priced, but we trust you know their worth, and will give to Primates World Relief through this special Event!

Tonight at 7:00 our Lenten Devotions continue.
Revd. John's talks resume with "Finding God in the Darkness"
See you this evening.

Have a Blessed  St. Agnello of Pisa Day!

Apologies: The evening recording was of a very poor quality,so there is no podcast for this servive

The Evening Service was quiet.
About forty of us gathered together for evening prayers,and to Listen to Revd. John's message: Finding God in the Dark.

Here are the Sermon notes

Finding our way through the Darkness

Prayer: Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The talk I am sharing tonight is just a small portion of some of the writing I have done on this subject.

 

You may recall that I spoke of a sense of the "Giftedness of the

Darkness"  that is a part of my life. 

 

I must also repeat an earlier commentary:

 

I believe from my experiences that

 

when life's safe routines are broken or sudden change comes, people are led (or forced)  to a dark place where two things can happen:

 

1. Losing Sight of God and faith, or

2. The nurturing of a deeper, more real ,and Honest relationship with God.

·        "Darkness"  as a word and theme is found in both the Old Testament (Heb. hasak and New Testament (Gk.skotos).  Light symbolizes God, and darkness describes everything that is against God: the wicked ( Prov 2:13-14 ; 1 Thess 5:4-7 ), judgment ( Exod 10:21 ; Matt 25:30 ), and death ( Psalm 88:12 ).

·    Although darkness is blinding to humans, it is transparent to God            ( Psalm 139:12 ).

·  Darkness is not equal in power to God's light. God rules over the darkness and the powers of evil. God knows the darkness. He knows where it is ( Job 34:22 ) and what it contains

 

But let's be honest:

Even though we know  academically, that God is the ruler over all things, our human experience of Darkness speaks of :

 

• What we know,
• What we face
• Where we have been 
• Where we are now.
• Where we will we be in the future

In my pastoral work I have concern for people who deny the reality of doubt and anxiety .
Even more difficult to deal with are concept of believers who feel it is sinful and wrong to carry such things or express doubt.

Thomas Did. Peter did. 

Jesus Cried "My God My God Why have you forsaken me?"

To know full mystery of life includes the reality that we must endure its other half..the darkness.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton, (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) English writer well known... Said ``Faith is the art of Surviving one's Moods.``

I have heard many people say:

"There have been times when I had no desire for Prayer."

 

"There have been times when I had no sense of God , and no desire to do anything about it."

"The stress of life can dry you up pretty quickly ."

How many times have we heard

``There is always someone who has it worse``..

 

 I have always described that saying as a poor consolation for pain. 

Better to be honest with God about it,and deal with it! 

Some Advice...

 A long time ago a man came home and saw a huge snake on his front lawn.
He grabbed an axe and attacked it. It hissed and spat and curled around, until finally it appeared to be dead. In the morning the man went out to examine the little bits that were all over the yard, and discovered that he had chopped up his garden hose.

 

It`s not a good idea to fight snakes if you see them in the night. They might turn out to be something else that is quite harmless or even useful. 
When it is dark and we are tired, it is easy to make bad decisions..

Christians can live, not in a mire of  doubt, but with a  real hope that burns within .

This hope comes because of experiences of the Sacred that came through

• the written Ancient Word, the
• Vehicle of liturgy and tradition
• and the Living words of people who also have been touched by the power of the Love of Jesus while in the dark.
 
Let me list a summary of three things which will help us get through the dark night:

1. Remain steadfast, and don`t change your course in the dark.

2. When your mood is dark and leads you to despair, sadness, or loss, push against it.

3. Trust that this time will not last, and that morning will come.

Help us  kindle our fire this night In the presence of the holy angels of heaven

Without malice, without jealousy, without envy,

But the Holy Son of God to shield us.

God, kindle Thou in our hearts within

A flame of love  and hope that lights not just my path alone, but that of neighbour foe, friend,and to my kindred all.

1. Faith is knowing and unknowing
2  It is Strong and fragile

3 It is not objective but is provides an unshakable Hope.
4. It is the substance of things hoped for, based on the evidence of that which is unseen.

 

 

The 23rd Day of Lent 2013

Today is Monday March 11. It is the 23rd Day of Lent

The worship for the 4th Sunday in Lent really began at the Cathedral on Friday afternoon.
That's because at 6:00 on Friday we gathered to start a Confirmation retreat. we have 19 candidates for Confirmation this year. We gathered for an evening meal with the Candidates,retreat leaders,Confirmation Buddies,and Parents. Following an evening session of music,prayer and a few laughs,the Candidates enjoyed several hours of activity interspersed with Spiritual Direction.

Yesterday worship began at 8:30 a.m with our traditional Eucharist, followed by a 10:30 morning Eucharist. 
The Time Change effect certainly was visible!...Especially for those of us who were still trying to make up for lost sleep after the retreat. 
Revd. Brian,our parish associate preached a fine sermon on the Prodigal Son.
Unfortunately we did not get the service recorded, so there is no podcast for this week.
Apologies!
Anyone wanting a sermon outline, please send us a comment and we will respond to you.

 

There was a 4:00 Eucharist at Lakeside home.
Lately fewer of the Home residents are getting out for service,as more and more,our elders are slowing down. Our prayers for them,and our ministry to them continues.

Our ministry to seniors in this parish seems to be evolving quickly these days!

 Also at 7:00,we conducted a service of Prayer and Praise at Holy Cross chapel in Benton. It was a great evening that was attended by members of St. Martin's Cathedral Choir and some of the parish musicians.

Lent starts today for our Coptic friends at St. Maurice Church. This group of Egyptian Christians worship regularly at St. Martin's. They use our building and resources as their spiritual home. They have been with us for years,and certainly add a beautiful dimension to the fabric of our parish.

The 19th Day Of Lent

Wednesday March 6th
Today,as is our Lenten custom people gathered in the Lady Chapel for Communion at 7:30 a.m.
 Following that there was morning coffee ,then out into the world again.
 All around the busyness continues.
Some are being blessed,some are wounded and weary.
The old Celtic Prayer comes to mind:

May the Christ who walks on wounded feet
walk with you on the road.
May the Christ who serves with wounded hands
stretch out your hands to serve.
May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart
open your hearts to love.
May you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet,
and may everyone you meet
see the face of Christ in you.

May it be so with us.....We pray to our Lord that we who are of His family, may be instruments of blessing to one another.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
At the 7:00 p.m Service
Our service tonight was well attended.

The   Anglican Church Women led the service,and Mrs. Karen Torraville,Honorary  Diocesan A.C.W. President gave the message.
It will bless you!
The Podcast link is below:
http://ourcommunion.org/acwmar6.mp3

17th Day of Lent 2013

Today is Monday March 3, 2013, The 17th day of Lent

We had a great day of worship yesterday.
Three very different services ranging from

• a traditional Early Morning Eucharist,
• Baptism and
• An Evening Eucharist that had a focus on Healing.
• The service music was led by our praise band,
• Revd. Brian was the preacher. Perhaps he will provide his sermon notes in a post later today..... 

Three of the praise band members shared solos at the Communion,and all rould God's presecence was felt and received.

 The podcast links for the highlights of the baptism and healing services are found below. 

 

The Morning Service    The Healing Service

 

Today,"Sleepy Monday" does not wait for us to rest! Our Daily work continues and our people must get on with it,so God Bless you as you go out into the rain !

Parish life continues too!

Visiting,Staff meetings,Confirmation Class,and a Visit with music and prayer to Golden Legion Maner with Cursillo Later tonight.

That's just today.....

 

Sermon Notes For the Morning Service

Proverbs 3: 5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not rely on your own insight.

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Let's ask these Questions today:

·         What does it mean to acknowledge God? 

·         Can you  acknowledge  that which you don't know?

·         That implies we should know God and be in a good relationship with him...right?

  Connecting the Dots:

In applying the truth of this passage:

 

What does the promise that He will make your paths straight mean to us today?

In Our Daily Lives let us to commit to being open to God's presence in all things.

Let us resolve to:

·         Observe God

·         Accept that he has a plan for us

·         Realize that we do choose to Walk with Him our Go our Own Way.

Prayer:
May whatever Grace you need to be in relationship with him be yours, and.....May we all be led to  the  firm conviction found here:

Romans 8:38-39

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

The Healing Service Podcast consists of:

• Pre - service Singing
• Revd. Brian's Sermon
• Music and singing during Communion

Podcast Links:

The Morning Service

 

The Healing Service

 

Reminder: There is a 7:30 a.m Eucharist followed by a breakfast gathering

and a 7:00 P.m Service at the Cathedral on Wednesday.

On Wednesday night our Ladies will be leading the Service.

Next Wednesday night Revd. John will continue with the Lenten Talks.

Next Wednesday:

"Surviving and Growing in the Darkness"

15th Day of Lent

 Today is Friday, March 3,The 15th Day of Lent.
Looking back..a special podcast today. Well worth a listen!
See the notes and the link to the podcast below!

Thank God for the different fellowships that are taking place in the parish. Wednesday services were  fairly well attended;our Bible studies continue.

• Tonight at the Cathedral there is an eccumenical service for the World Day of Prayer. It begins at 7:30
• This Sunday morning there is baptism,and
• In the evening a healing service and Eucharist.
• On Wednesday night our Ladies will conduct the Lenten service,Mrs. Karen Torraville will be speaking.
• Next Friday night we will be conducting an overnight retreat for the Confirmation class.
• Saturday Morning a Confirmation Prayer breakfast with our Bishop

Lent  often highlights how much times have changed. Many of our discussions are about "how it used to be" turn nostalgic and wistful.  

We do live in a great world though,and should be thankful to God for His Grace in our time!  There is so much to offer true thanks for in our lives,friendships families and provisions.

As gardener I have made contact with some wonderful people all around North America. One of the people I have "met" is through his gardening program at http://www.greenhorngardening.com/.
This young man whose name is Damon shares his love of life,some of his values,and his gardening tecniques. He has uploaded a special podcast that is well worth a listen. It is an interview with his Mom, Mary Toney about life way back when on a Southern Cotton farm .
She speaks of life, family,vaues and spirituality in the days of the depression .  Her memories are of simple times of life in Alabama when people raised their own food and livestock,and depended on each other.
Her words and sharing are very inspiring,and I commend it to you.
It will bring back good memories for many of us,and great teaching for the young folks!

 

The first part of the podcast begins with Damon's regular introductions and focus. At 6:30 minutes the interview begins

http://traffic.libsyn.com/gg/79GG79InterviewWithMaryToney.mp3

May the Grace of Our Lord be with you,and all whom you love.