It seems extraordinary to me that there is not a greater outcry from the church against the carnage in Syria. We might have hoped that followers of Jesus Christ across the US in particular might have rallied to oppose their government’s efforts to pour further weapons into the already-devastated country. For the most part though church leaders have been cautious if not muted in their criticisms.
The letter of Bishops Pates and Kicanas is encouraging, though it may prove to be too little and too late.
US Bishops Urging Syrian Ceasefire
The bishops overseeing international peace and relief efforts for the Church in the US urged Secretary of State John Kerry to work with other governments to obtain a ceasefire in Syria, initiate negotiations and provide humanitarian assistance, all in an effort to build “an inclusive society in Syria that protects the rights of all its citizens, including Christians and other minorities.”
Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, and Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, sent a letter to Kerry on Wednesday.
Bishop Pates is chairman of the bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace. Bishop Kicanas is chairman of the board of Catholic Relief Services, the bishops’ international humanitarian agency.
“The Syrian people urgently need a political solution that ends the fighting and creates a future for all Syrians, one that respects human rights and religious freedom,” wrote Bishop Pates and Bishop Kicanas. The bishops cited the appeals for peace in Syria made by Pope Francis on Easter Sunday and in his June 15 message to the G8 Summit.
The bishops noted the reported use of chemical weapons, the United Nations estimate of more than 93,000 deaths, the displacement of millions from their homes and the kidnapping of two Orthodox archbishops on a mission of mercy as urgent reasons for a negotiated ceasefire and political solution.
The full text of the bishops’ letter is available in PDF format here.


About the Peter McKee Food Centre
The Peter Mckee Food Centre is named after Peter McKee, a Catholic priest who presided over several local churches and served as a chaplain for the Moncton firefighters and the Royal Canadian Legion & Ladies Auxiliary.
Outside the church, he was very active within the local community and was a board member for several organizations including St. Thomas University, House of Nazareth, St. Patrick’s Family Centre, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Villa Providence in Shediac. Peter also helped found the Ray of Hope Soup Kitchen and was a member of the Knights of Columbus and Irishtown Lions Club.
In 2000, he was recognized by the local rotary club for his numerous community contributions with a Paul Harris Fellowship Award. Peter passed away in 2006 at the age of 69.
To maintain Peter’s legacy, the Community Food Centre has combined three Moncton food banks to assist more than 1,500 families through a holistic, community-based approach to food security.
In addition to food access, we provide a variety of necessary services including a community garden, teaching kitchen, community boardroom and educational programs. We recognize that each circumstance is unique, and will do whatever we can to help you feel empowered, confident and secure.
475 St. George St. Moncton NB.
Ext. 1: Appointments
Ext. 6: Christmas Box Program
Monday to Friday
Appointments are scheduled Monday to Friday 10 am – 12 pm and 1 pm – 3 pm. Wednesdays 5 pm – 7 pm is also available for students or working families who can’t book an appointment during the day.
330 MacNaughton Avenue, Moncton, NB E1H 2K1


It is Ash Wednesday today. As we are a Catholic family, the kids and I will be heading to Mass at 9 am to receive the ashes. If you have ever seen people walking around with ashes on their forehead, Ash Wednesday is likely the reason why. It's been a practice for centuries as a way to start off Lent. You can read more about that here.
Some links about Lent:
FREE Lenten Adventure - daily email with information and activities to guide your children through Lent
Message from the Pope for Lent 2013
A little update:
My son's little herb garden project is going well. We bought a mini greenhouse with peat pellets and some basil and parsley seeds. I can't remember which day we're on, but we so far have 2 sprouts! He has also been spending more time reading things other than comics, we're getting some math in here and there, Faith and Life in here and there... Still haven't figured out the social studies. But maybe that's okay at this point.


Easter Sunday Brunch with the Easter Bunny
Enjoy brunch with the Easter Bunny at Villa Lombardi’s! We’ll be serving our signature brunch & dinner buffet with seating at 10:45AM, 11:15AM, 1:45PM, and 2:15PM
Adults: $74.95 +tax
Children (3-10): $34 +tax
Gratuity not included
To avoid any cancellation fees, please confirm any changes and/or cancellations to your reservation by April 3rd.
There will be a $25.00 per person cancellation penalty beginning April 4th.


Welcome to Our Lady of Sorrows Parish!
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish is a Roman Catholic community of Faith, centered in the Eucharist and the Word of God. Our mission, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is to proclaim and live Christ`s message of love and service, within our parish and in the larger, world community.
Please bring something for the Potluck.
If your Last Name begins with:
A-F......bring a Salad...
G-N.....bring a Side Dish
O-Z......bring a Dessert
Week of September 18 - 22
Monday: 9:00 am Mass
Tuesday: 9:00 am Mass
Thursday: 9:00 am Communion Service
Friday: 11:00 am Mass at Mt. Pleasant Retirement Community
ALL ARE WELCOME!
330 Lebanon Street
Monroe, Ohio 45050
Saturday: 4:15 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM & 10:30 AM
Holy Day: See bulletin.
Monday, Tuesday, Friday*: 9:00 AM
Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion:
Thursday at 9:00 AM
(See bulletin for weekly updates.)
Confessions: Saturdays 3:45 - 4:00 PM
*Masses on the 4th Friday of the month are at 11:00 am at the
Mt. Pleasant Retirement Village
225 Britton Lane
Monroe, OH 45050
9:30 am - 5:30 pm
Daily Bible Verse
Readings for the Week of September 17, 2017
- Sunday: Sir 27:30--28:7 / Ps 103 / Rom 14:7-9 / Mt 18:21-35
- Monday: 1 Tm 2:1-8 / Ps 28 / Lk 7:1-10
- Tuesday: 1 Tm 3:1-13 / Ps 101 / Lk 7:11-17
- Wednesday: 1 Tm 3:14-16 / Ps 111 / Lk 7:31-35
- Thursday: Eph 4:1-7, 11-13 / Ps 19 / Mt 9:9-13
- Friday: 1 Tm 6:2c-12 / Ps 49 / Lk 8:1-3
- Saturday: 1 Tm 6:13-16 / Ps 100 / Lk 8:4-15
- Next Sunday: Is 55:6-9 / Ps 145 / Phil 1:20c-24, 27a / Mt 20:1-16a
- Rev. Paul Gebhardt, Pastor
- Rev. Stephen Lattner, O.S.B., Associate Pastor
- Jack Schaefer, Deacon
- Chris Baumgardner, Coordinator of Religious Education
- Ava Bertsch, Business Manager
- Bob Drusky, Office and Technology Manager
- Nora Neu, Pastoral Associate
- Joe Scarpa, Maintenance Worker
- Danielle Schrantz, Pastoral Musician
- Christine Shimrock, Director of Prison Ministries
If you would like to be a part of the prayer chain group, please send an email to email@example.com and request to have your email added to the prayer chain list. Prayer requests will be sent to the group as they are received.
Anyone having a prayer request should send an email with the request to this same address. Your request will be sent to all those in the prayer chain group and will be kept confidential unless you note otherwise.
The Seven Sorrows (seven dolors) of Mary
The Prophecy of Simeon – Luke 2:22-35
The Holy Family’s Flight into Egypt – Matthew 2:7-23
The Loss of Jesus in Jerusalem – Luke 2:41-50
The Meeting along the Way to Calvary – Luke 23:26-32
The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus – John 19:25-42
The Taking of the Body of Jesus from the Cross – Mark 15:42-46
The Burial of Jesus in the Tomb – Matthew 27:59-61


Since they are unable to sire offspring, they are less likely to seek the overthrow of the king and less of a threat to women. And, in fact, this particular eunuch is the treasurer for the Queen of Ethiopia. Despite this, eunuchs are a lower class. They are considered only half-men. Ancient Israel placed a very high value on the ability to have children especially sons.
Nevertheless, the eunuch is a Jew. He is traveling to Jerusalem. And he is reading the Scriptures. A Jew, yes, one who believes in God, but one not fully included in the people of God.
So, Philip — a table waiter himself — meets a foreigner who is of a lower class. The Spirit tells him to approach the man in the chariot. To his surprise, he finds that the Ethiopian eunuch is reading the Bible! The prophet Isaiah, no less! And they read:. Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe this generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth. Isaiah Or someone else? Philip jumps at the chance to tell him about Jesus. He probably speaks in a similar way to the stranger on the road to Emmaus. As they continue down the road, the eunuch sees a small stream. Here is some water! So, they stopped Philip baptized him. And as they were coming up out of the water, Philip was swept away by the Holy Spirit.
You could say the same of the eunuch, but he simply went on his way rejoicing.
On Our Way Rejoicing
What is to prevent me from being baptized? Here is a foreigner.
He is also a eunuch — a half-man. All he has is one Bible study and the eagerness to be baptized. But, in his case, that is enough. So, you could say, not only the prophecy of Isaiah 53 is fulfilled in Jesus, but also the prophecy of Isaiah 56 is as well:. For thus says the LORD: To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.
Philip begins with the first passage. Is there something that makes us feel like an outsider to God?
On Our Way Rejoicing
Is there something that makes us feel second class in the kingdom of God? Is there some barrier in our hearts?
Whatever barrier there might be, the Holy Spirit can cross it. The Holy Spirit can cross any ethnic or social boundary. The Holy Spirit can cross any line society has drawn and even any boundary the church has set up. The Holy Spirit can cross it and bring us wholly to God.
On our way rejoicing | dustnumbpoquarna.cf
And, when the Holy Spirit brings us across that boundary, then we to can go on our way rejoicing! Search this site:. Contact Connect with Us.
keyterdidiri.ml Music Praise through Voice, Chimes and Bells. Calendar What's Happening at Hope. Traditional Worship - AM. Contemporary Worship - AM. Sunday School - AM. Executive Board Meeting - PM. Council Meeting - PM. Capital Campaign Meeting - PM. Sarah Circle - AM. Home Page. On our way rejoicing. On our way rejoicing Author: John S. Author: John S. Psalm Isaiah Acts Colossians Notes On our way rejoicing as we homeward [onward] move.
- The Rise and Development of the Theory of Series up to the Early 1820s (Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences).
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Buy the complete Appreciating Church pack for £22. It includes:
- Appreciating Church
- More than Welcome cards
Appreciating Church is a resource to help churches and their communities explore the organisational and personal development approach Appreciative Inquiry. As well as information the philosophy and tools of Appreciative Inquiry, Appreciating Church includes guidance to help embed the approach in the spiritual life of the Church. There are stories and experiences of AI in action, ranging from asking a different question in the church meeting to delivering a major project; ideas and examples of AI; small group tasks and practical methods; suggested worship materials to support the process; and signposts to further reading.
Further information about Appreciating Church can be found at www.appreciating.church.
More than Welcome is a card-based activity game involving questions, group activities and a SOAR task that can support church communities to extent their welcome to all people. It’s a development by the Appreciating Church partnership supported by Appreciating People.
UK £22.00 plus shipping
Europe €22.00 plus shipping


The Pope and the Pennsylvania Primary
The Pope's recent visit to the U.S. offers us a glimpse into what our society so desperately needs at this moment, and which is so glaringly absent from the current Pennsylvania primary campaign. If only the presidential candidates would address the so-called "regular people" of Pennsylvania with the same forthrightness that Pope Benedict chose to handle the Catholic Church's child abuse scandal during his recent visit. From the outset of his visit, the Pope answered the call to address the explosive issue of child abuse which came at the hands of Catholic priests. Now, I know many people believe the Pope�s visit was a triumph of public relations and spin over truth. They argue that the Pope sought to masterfully manipulate public opinion to blot out a stain on the Catholic Church. They rightfully point out that he was merely here for a handful of days, and that many skilled public figures could manage the maladies he had to confront. Time will tell.
But I see a leader who never ducked this issue; rather, he chose to speak out. He started this process before he touched down on U.S. soil, with a press conference aboard his plane after take-off from Rome. His actions came as the Pennsylvania Primary heated up, and turned increasingly nasty and sadly irrelevant. Here's how Pope Benedict approached his challenge:
� The Pope spoke out on a taboo issue we all know exists.
� He talked about the issue directly from his heart to our hearts. He spoke in human (and deeply personal) terms about shame and regret, rejecting the safety of putting forth convoluted proposals intended to make us think he was taking action
� His words were relatively few. He didn' drone on with long speeches, seemingly written by someone with little or no relationship to the topic. In this case, fewer words translated into deeper meaning, because we were able to actually see and hear the Pope.
� He talked directly to whomever he was with, instead of talking to cameras or some intended audience. This was not about doing yet another event; or about being cajoled into showing up (like a politician who holds a press conference after getting caught in a compromised position); or about winning converts; or about using people as props. The Pope sought to be with others. This seldom happens with leaders in public life.
� He spoke out over the course of his entire visit, even if it was only for a handful of days. His comments were less a smattering of one-off speeches or events, and more of an unfolding of a �public conversation� that took on increasingly deeper meaning as it evolved.
� Lastly, the Pope met with the aggrieved, in private, and with purpose. Yes, he did not meet with a large group of victims. But he did reach out, and by all accounts the event was genuinely about love and healing, not persuasion or photo ops. For me, the meeting turned into an example of what can become of how other Catholic leaders and victims can come together.
Think, then, of the Pennsylvania primary, where people are being clumsily categorized into clusters of �rural,� �urban� and �suburban� voters, and little more; where there is a fight over how �bitter� people are and various stereotypes; where issues such as �race� and �closed factories� and �poor schools� are raised one day, only to be forgotten the next; where the personal stories of candidates and their mistakes overshadow the stories of Pennsylvanians and their concerns; where candidates talk incessantly about policies, as if having a �position� is the same as speaking directly to someone�s hurt and aspirations.
Just at the time when the Pope vigilantly sought to address the inescapable realities of a very tough issue, the candidates in the Pennsylvania Primary seem to be spinning beyond any reality we recognize.
I know some people will wonder if I have amnesia, that somehow I have forgotten the history of the Catholic Church, and its slow dealings with the child abuse scandal. I see the shortcomings and failures, but I am not blind to the ways in which this Pope has chosen to step forward at this time.
In the Keystone State, votes will be counted tonight and someone will be declared the winner and another the loser. Then the candidates will hop on their chartered jets and leave for some other town, in some other state, looking for some other voters. And yet, it is not another speech or policy position that I seek from these candidates. I wish for them to engage us in real ways about our individual and collective lives


We invite you and your family to join us at 9:30 each Sunday morning for small group Bible study.
Better known as Sunday School, our Bible study program begins with newborns where our trained teachers exemplify the nurturing care that you want for your children. Each age-graded class uses appropriate teaching methods geared to the learning level of the pupils. We use Bible-based lessons to help your children learn God's truths. Our infants & pre-school classroom suites are designed to enhance a warm, friendly learning experience.
Older children and youth, housed in separate wings of our educational building, experience interactive learning with trained teachers who have a love and commitment for youth.
Adults, from college-age through senior adult, meet in small groups, called Bible Study Fellowships, based on age and/or affinity grouping for Bible study and life application. Under the direction of prepared teachers each week, the lessons focus on life application of Bible truths in today's world.


Welcome to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Howe, Indiana. We are a parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana. We meet Sundays at 8:30 AM Eastern Time in the historic Chapel of St. James, which is on the National Register of Historic Places of the United States, on the campus of The Howe School, located on the corner of State Road 9 and Union Street.
We worship according to Rite I of the Book of Common Prayer 1979. Our priest-in-charge is the Rev. Michael T. Fulk. Join us for worship on Sundays!


“We’ve been married 27 years. We have three children together and they’re all grown,” said Young Soon Kim.
Kim, and her husband, Yong Kwan Kim, are the two new majors heading the Salvation Army of Meridian.
“They’re not living with us anyone, so we can more freely serve the neighborhoods. We have a little more time,” said Young Kim.
The Kims are replacing Major Glenn Riggs, who is now the major of the Salvation Army of Alexandria, Louisiana.
“They actually point us where to go. This is our new location to serve in the salvation army,” said Young Kim.
Originally from South Korea, the two came to the United States 27 years ago--- just six days after their wedding.
“A little after he finished seminary, he decided to come to the Salvation Army, because the Salvation Army ministry and what they do, is what he envisioned to serve in his life,” said Young Kim.
Yong Kim said he always wanted to be preacher and was Baptist minister in Georgia for 10 years, until he become a major in the Salvation Army, his post taking him to Washington D.C., Atlanta, Birmingham, and now Meridian.
“I love preaching to the people about the gospel, and especially in this place, I love homeless people.”
In addition to providing food and housing for the homeless, the Kims also cater to the spiritual
needs of residents by offering counseling services and by hosting church every Sunday at the Salvation Army Church.”
“We have been here 117 years, the Salvation Army of Meridian. But still [residents] don’t know about the Salvation Army church. I invite all the community to come and worship with us, and whatever they need, we’ll try our best to help them,” said Young Kim.
Salvation Army of Meridian Church services start Sunday at 10 a.m. with Sunday school and 11 a.m. with morning worship. The organization also oversees a local food kitchen, a family store, and an emergency/transitional shelter for men.


JOIN OUR PRAYER TEAM
Everything we do through Love INC starts with prayer as the foundation. As we stand together in unity, needs are met, lives are changed, and communities are transformed.
Join our prayer team to receive our director's weekly updates on the ministry and to hear about current needs.Then take some time during the week to pray. If you are interested in being part of this team, please email DaNita Carlson. email@example.com
PRAY FOR THE LOVE INC MOVEMENT
31-DAY PRAYER GUIDE
“For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.”
Lord, there are so many people around us who are hurting physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. Thank you for the privilege of serving You through serving them. Move our hearts with the same kind of compassion You have shown each of us.
– Pray for people who are in need in your community
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Move in us, Holy Spirit, that we may with one heart and mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Give us endurance and encourage us toward unity in the Body of Christ.
-Pray for unity of purpose in the Body of Christ
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
O Lord, we ask that wisdom be poured out upon us as we make daily decisions about a Love INC ministry and about our personal lives. According to Your promise and faithfulness answer this prayer.
-Pray for wisdom and discernment
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
Lord, give us endurance and help us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. May we not allow anything to hinder our walk with You, but bring glory to Your name.
-Pray for the Love INC Movement as a whole
“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
1 John 3:18
Thank you, Lord, for the many volunteers You will call forth to serve You through Love INC. We praise You for the wide variety of gifts, talents, and other resources that each of them will bring to serve in Your Name. May our hearts always reflect appreciation and love for every gift given.
-Pray for volunteers who will serve through our Love INC
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.”
We praise You, Lord, for the shepherds of our Christian churches who have caught the vision of partnering through Love INC to serve our community. Bless them as they tend their flocks. May You be magnified as they teach and preach Your truth.
-Pray for the pastors of the Christian churches in your community
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”
Father, we lift up the staff of the Love INC Movement. Thank You for their dedication to serving You. Strengthen and encourage them today, and bless their work as they serve in Your name.
-Pray for the Love INC Movement staff as they assist you and other communities
“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”
Father, we pray for Christians elsewhere who are casting the vision of mobilized churches that transform the lives of people in need in their own communities. We ask that through them, You would richly bless and multiply the work of Your people.
-Pray for developing affiliates as they cast the vision to start Love INC in their communities
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels…if I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains…if I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
O Lord, may the work of our hands be so filled with Your love that everyone we meet, serve, and work with would be blessed and encouraged for Your glory.
-Pray that Christ’s name would be glorified in all we think, say, and do
“The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.”
O Lord, May those in our community who are hurting and without hope experience Your love and compassion through the Body of Christ and Love INC.
-Pray for the hurting and the hopeless to experience God’s love through His Body
“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
According to Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus, provide for all our needs as we seek to serve You by forming a Love In the Name of Christ affiliate. Grow us in our capacity to meet the needs of the people in our communities.
-Pray that Love INC will take root and grow to serve and transform lives of people with needs
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,…”
Lord, may we strive to do all things excellently for You. Help us to do our best on behalf of people in need, that You may be glorified.
-Pray that excellence is reflected in all that we do as we seek to form a Love INC ministry
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us.”
1 John 5:14
Lord, You have told us that we can approach Your throne with confidence, and ask according to Your will and You hear us. We pray for financial resources with which to fund a Love In the Name of Christ in our community, and for the Movement. Thank You for hearing our prayers.
-Pray for financial resources for Love INC
“All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant.”
Lord, You are loving and faithful. We thank You for sustaining us as we have served and made Your name known in our communities throughout the years.
-Thank God for sustaining the Love INC Movement for over 35 years
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
God, we pray that You would use our lives and our work for the building of Your Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. May Love In the Name of Christ
ever be faithful to Your will.
-Pray that God will use Love INC for the building of His kingdom
“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Father, may the light of Your love shine through us so that others may see You. Help us to demonstrate Your sacrificial love, so that those who do not yet believe would be drawn to You and find salvation in You.
-Pray that our world will see the love of Christ through our Christian churches working together
“For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.”
Lord, we thank you for the Christians in our community who have stepped forward to help build our Love INC. Strengthen and bless them as they respond to Your call.
-Pray for the building of our Love INC and for all who are involved or interested
“So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”
Lord, we ask You to grant the Christian churches in our community a spirit of cooperation, as You have given us one another to work in service side by side. May You be honored as churches work together across denominations to love and serve our neighbors.
-Pray for more churches to work together across denominations
“…as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”
2 Corinthians 1:11
Father, we ask for encouragement and strength for the national Board of Directors of Love INC. Fill them with Your spirit this Day, that they may be attuned to You, growing in their understanding of Your love for them.
-Pray for the national board of Love INC
“May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.”
Lord, we pray for Your hand to protect the unemployed from despair and discouragement. Provide the resources and hope that they need to sustain their families in their time of need, and please grant them gainful employment.
-Pray for people in need of employment in your community
“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead..”
O Lord, open our eyes to the physical needs of our neighbors. May we act toward them in love, as You would have us live—not hardened to their distress, but sensitive and willing to help them in their trouble.
-Pray for Christians to notice neighbors who have material needs in your community
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
Heavenly Father, You have given us the greatest example of what it means to love by laying down Your life for us. May we imitate Your self-sacrificial love every Day in our relationships with others across the national Love INC Movement.
-Pray for Christ-like relationships locally and throughout the Love INC Movement
“…that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”
Holy Spirit, continue Your good work in the Love INC Movement. Help us all to stand firm in obedience to God, mature in our faith, and lead with integrity.
-Pray for everyone involved in the Love INC Movement
“But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
2 Corinthians 8:7
Thank you, Lord, for the precious people who have shown generosity in their gifts to Love In the Name of Christ. We praise You for their obedience to exercise the gift of giving. Bless them as they have blessed us and provide for their needs as well.
-Pray for the donors and supporters who are helping, and who will help Love INC in your community
“You gave abundant showers, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, You provided for the poor.”
Lord, we pray for people who are in distress, that through their contact with Christian churches, they may know Your love and care for them. Use our lives and resources to bless others in their time of need.
-Pray for people who turn to Christian churches for help, that they will experience God’s love and find the real help they need
“Yet, O LORD, You are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.”
God, thank You for the social service agencies in our community. Continue to shape and mold them according to Your purpose, and use them to help those in need according to Your will.
-Pray for the social service agencies in your community
“He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.”
Lord, open our eyes to the opportunities that Love In the Name of Christ can provide our Christian churches. Guide, provide for, and empower us to serve You as these opportunities are revealed to us.
-Pray for Christian churches to realize new opportunities to touch lives through Love INC
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Lord, we are thankful for Your Holy Spirit Who strengthens and empowers us to do the tasks for which You called us. Keep us strong that we might not lose heart or become weary as we seek to build a Love INC in our community.
-Pray for yourself and everyone working to build Love INC to be encouraged and strengthened by God’s grace
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
O Lord, may our light so shine as we serve You that awareness of Love INC ministry would multiply across the country and around the world. May You receive all the glory and honor as You extend Your mercies through this ministry.
-Pray for increased awareness of the Love INC ministry in the U.S. and internationally
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
O God of all comfort, we pray for our neighbors among us who are experiencing difficult circumstances. May Your compassion and mercy be poured out on them in abundance.
-Pray for compassion and mercy for every person who is in need
“…that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…”
O God, You began the work of salvation in our hearts before the foundation of the universe. Even now You are moving to accomplish Your purpose in and through us as we serve You. May unbelievers with whom we come in contact see Christ in us and come to faith in You.
-Pray that Christians will be a light to reveal Christ in your community by loving others in both word and deed
Copyright 2018 © Love In the Name of Christ. Love INC. All rights reserved. This material is expressly reserved for the use of a designated vision carrier or a community member who has directly received it and has permission to use it and to share it with people in his/her community who are interested in the development of a Love INC affiliate. This material may not be used for any other purpose. It may not be used in any other community. Updated 2/26/18.


When St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church closed in 2008, the Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio, Thomas Breidenthal, made a commitment to continue to have a ministry presence in the Avondale community. In order for that presence to meet the needs of the community, he connected with several community organizations and listened. By early 2009 the topics that emerged included job training and development, youth offenders, the need for entrepreneurial training and the absence of fresh food alternatives and nutrition education. The Bishop’s notes ended with this, “There is a consensus that this entire project should involve a broad ecumenical, interfaith and civic base.”
In 2008, the diocese granted use of a portion of the grounds to the Avondale Community Council for the Do Right!® Teen Garden lead by The Center for Closing the Health Gap, funded by Place Matters. The garden provided fresh vegetables, along with nutrition and healthy eating training to the teens in the summer from 2008-2010. The garden also resulted in the establishment of a Farmers Market stand managed by the Avondale Youth Council.
Meanwhile, Calvary Episcopal Church in Clifton provided oversight to the property on Reading Road, and continued to give support to former St. Michael and All Angels parishioner Audrey Scott, whose feeding and clothing ministry (Mom’s Meals) continued beyond the last worship service. And in 2009, Calvary Church enlisted the work of the Easter Seals Youth Build program to begin some much need maintenance and renovation work on the property.
By the middle of 2009 the number of civic partners was substantial, and each organization was beginning to see possibilities and benefits for a center in the former church. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Hamilton County Community Action Agency, the Avondale Community Council, Place Matters, LISC and others were committing time, energy, ideas and resources to the conversation. The partners continued in conversation, and by early 2010, physical plans for the renovation of the former church parish hall were being discussed.
In June 2010, the Bishop’s Advisory Board was created and shortly thereafter the name Gabriel’s Place was chosen. The mission statement, “to provide a safe, beautiful, and spiritually nourishing place for the Avondale Community to gather in mutual respect to learn, interact, and go out in peace,” became the banner under which future programming opportunities would be defined. Spring 2011 brought the implementation of the envisioned ‘hoop house’ and the hiring of Troy Frasier, with the generosity of LISC’s AmeriCorps program, to begin to develop and build an aquaponic system in the hoop house. Avondale Youth Council began to revision the garden, and Leslie Stevenson, another Americorps VISTA staff member, came on board in July. Fall 2010 arrived with several partners providing financial resources for the continuation of the program: The Diocese of Southern Ohio Trustees provided up to $400,000; Hamilton County Community Action Agency committed funding for kitchen equipment through ARRA*; Chase Bank provided $90,000; Children’s Hospital, LISC and other partners gave both dollars directly and by funding staff positions. In October 2010 Carla Butler was hired as the Program Manager, and by November construction began.
Gabriel’s Place would not be here without the generosity of many individuals and partners who have contributed in small ways to make the larger vision come to fruition. Gabriel’s Place was dedicated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 30, 2011. A proclamation from Cincinnati mayor Mark Mallory proclaimed September 30, 2011 as Gabriel’s Place Day in Cincinnati.


This is a 55-minute long video of a sermon delivered by Britt Merrick* at one of the network of churches he founded called "Reality." This is, I believe, his home church, in Santa Barbara. You can learn more about Reality churches and missions HERE. They see their growth as part of a process called "church birthing," to emphasize their own emphasis on family, as a reality and as an idea.
Reality is a family of churches. Reality Carpinteria was born on September 7, 2003. Since that time we have birthed churches in Los Angeles, Stockton, and San Francisco, CA. We also have a grandchild in London, England, that was birthed from Reality LA. Our next church will be in Boston, MA and is scheduled to start in the fall of 2012. God has called Reality to be a church planting movement. We never sought to be this, but it has become clear that this is what God is calling us to do and be, and it is something we are passionate about.
Though planting is the common metaphor for starting new churches, we prefer to call what we do church birthing. Birthing is more labor intensive and relational than the planting metaphor suggests.
Britt is on a leave of abscence from his pastoral duties and this is a sermon that he felt called to deliver to update the community about his daughter, Daisy, Daisy Love, Daisy Love Merrick. A very cool, brave little girl who is actively dying, trying so hard to die with grace, within the love, grace, and faith of her family, whom she knows to be around her here and waiting for her in Heaven.
The Merricks took Daisy to Israel over the summer for some treatments not available in the United States -- immunotherapy, cancer vaccines, much of which involved the transfer of cells from Britt to Daisy. They road camels.
|Daisy and her brother Isaiah|
|Daisy surfing in Israel|
28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a small coin? But not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father knowing about it already. 30 Even the hairs of your head are all counted. 31 Don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.
I look at this picture -- among others -- every few days, when I wonder what is happening within. and to, Daisy, Daisy Love, Daisy Love Merrick, Daughter of the Surf. Freckled Little Girl of Inspiring Imagination, and I don't pray. I prayed for Daisy once, and that -- from all I understand
about omnipotence and stuff -- ought to have been enough. Whenever Britt or Kate call for prayer, I bow my head, think of them and their terrible pain, of Isaiah's probably anger and confusion, and always, in that dumb bowed head, see Daisy's face, which, although I know its beauty must be greatly changed, I forever see this way:
And while no prayer comes out, I try to send them love from my heart, and I imagine holding their hands -- thin, dry, damp, sweaty, clenched in a fist, open in a stroke, seeking -- scuttling hands, worrying thumbs, wavering fingers.
*His biography at the Reality Santa Barbara website reads:
I am the founder of Reality and the current Pastor for Preaching and Vision. This means that I do the bulk of the preaching on Sunday mornings for all three campuses, that I guide the church doctrinally, and lead the effort to discern in community (with a plurality of elders) Christ's leading for Reality. The passionate pursuit of my life is to enjoy Jesus. I love my wife Kate, my son Isaiah and my daughter Daisy. I also love surfing, guitars, motocross and books.


Mary Morin has been a Christian counselor since 1985. She is currently in full-time private practice in Houston. Mary is a mother of 3 adult children and a grandmother of 4. She has extensive experience in marriage and family counseling, individual counseling for adults, adolescents, and children. She is a former adjunct professor of general psychology and human development. She is a popular speaker throughout the Houston area and is a featured speaker on the radio program, Vital Issues in the Christian Home, on KHCB Christian radio.


I'm a Christian who loves everyday adventures, the bush & fishing looking for someone to share life
Why should you get to know BlueEyesGoneFishing?
I'm a strong committed Christian who loves everyday adventures, enjoys the bush, camping, fly fishing, great food (I can cook well), good wine and entertaining. I'm always up for a laugh or a dare,...
|Country of Origin:||South Africa|
|Location:||Sandton (Strathavon), Gauteng, South Africa|
|Marital Status:||Never Married|
|Height:||178cm (5' 10.1")|
|Relationship Types:||Long-term; Marriage|


To provide a tool for planning for the future when your life on this earth ends, and Print the notification call list.
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On march 21, 1997, the holy see granted an indult to the order of christian funerals, giving
Church funeral planning worksheet. The following resources are provided to help you prepare for the celebration of your loved one’s funeral liturgy at st. To complete this funeral planning worksheet, you will either need the full packet of To plan the funeral of another in the event of a death, call the church before making any arrangements.
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This worksheet may be used by a bereaved family in the midst of funeral planning; The “order of christian funerals.” in order to help in funeral planning and allow you to follow the teachings of the catholic church, please review the following principles regarding cremation in the catholic church. Your family or friend's email * phone number of family or friend * address of family or friend * line 1.
Initially parishioners struggled to get a church started but gradually the parish grew as the exodus to the suburbs got underway. What readings and hymns, who is doing them, what key the music is in. The worksheet has one line for each item that typically occurs in a funeral mass liturgy, and space to record the details:
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Primary family member or friend contact * first. Pre planning your funeral the right to a funeral liturgy funeral planning worksheets cemeteries and columbaria in the diocese of charlotte offering masses for the dead st. Our parish was founded in 1922 in what was then a rural area straddling bucks and montgomery counties.
As we profess in the apostles’ creed, we believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Or by individuals anticipating an impending death; Preparing for a funeral may seem intimidating, but making your plans and wishes in advance allows you to decide on the specific items you want and need.
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Discover learning games, guided lessons, and other interactive activities for children. If you need help downloading the printables, check out these helpful tips. Funeral planning worksheet please complete the following questionnaire.
A copy will be kept in a confidential file at st. It is an act of thanksgiving to god for the gift of the life of the person who has died. Showing top 8 worksheets in the category funeral.
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Anthony de padua catholic church instructions 1. Use this planning guide to begin putting everything in order. Become a ministry, especially to the bereaved.
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Abbey of Reading, dedicated to the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist, was
founded by King Henry I in June
1121, on a site between the rivers of Thames (on the north) and Kennet (on
the south), much nearer to the latter. The Abbey was of the Cluniac Order.
The Cluniacs were the first of several orders founded with the object of
keeping more strictly the Rule of St. Benedict. They date back as far as AD
912. A distinguishing mark of the Order was that all its houses were
directly subject to the one mother-house of Cluny (near Macon). The Abbot of
Cluny nominated the superior of every subordinate house and, to him, they
all owed allegiance. The first Cluniac priory founded in England was at
Barnstaple. It never became important. The next, that of St. Pancras at
Lewes, set up in 1077, was the senior house in England. All the English
Cluniac monasteries were priories except Reading and Bermondsey. There were
thirty-two of them still existing at the Dissolution.
however, did not long remain Cluniac. In the course of the thirteenth
century, we find it mentioned as simply Benedictine; and Benedictine it
remained. The exact date of this change does not seem to be known.
I had been a benefactor to the mother-church of Cluny and it is therefore
not surprising to find him encouraging the Order at home. He endowed Reading
very richly and colonised it with monks from Lewes and Cluny. His charter of
1125 begins with the statement that there were three abbeys in England which
had been done away with because of their sins, that is Reading, Chelsea and
Leominster. "He will now refound Reading and give to it the possessions
of the other two." William of Malmesbury confirms this statement by
saying that there was once a nunnery at Reading, long since abolished.
charter once granted, building proceeded steadily. When Henry died (at
Bois-Lion, near Rouen) in 1135 and was brought to England. The church was
far enough advanced for him to be buried in front of the high altar. But not
till 1164, was church was finally consecrated. This was done by the
Archbishop Thomas A’Becket, in the presence of Henry II and many nobles.
only important addition made to the church seems to have been that of the
Lady Chapel, which was added at the extreme east end (the usual place) in
1314. Of the other buildings of the Abbey, we have really no history. Among
the many events of more or less interest which are bound up with the Abbey,
one of the most brilliant was the wedding of John of Gaunt with Blanche,
daughter of Henry Plantagenet, Duke of Lancaster, on 19th May 1359. An
earlier one, which may also stir the imagination, was the visit of Heraclius,
Patriarch of Jerusalem, to King Henry II in 1185. The Patriarch
earnestly besought the King to rescue the Holy Land from Moslem domination
and would have had him accept the Kingship of Jerusalem; but Henry was not
to he moved and the Patriarch went away disappointed.
Suppression was as evilly carried out as that of Glastonbury. Hugh
Cook of Faringdon, the last Abbot, though a friend of the
King and, so far as can be gathered, a wholly upright and very courageous
man, was executed as a traitor in 1539 outside Reading Abbey’s inner
gateway. His real offence was that he would not acknowledge the King's
supremacy in other than temporal matters, and would not voluntarily
surrender his Abbey. In 1895, he, with his fellow-sufferers of Glastonbury
and Colchester, was beatified by the Roman Pontiff. The Abbey fell to the
King and the expelled monks were not even pensioned until Queen Mary's
reign. The annual value at the Suppression was somewhat over £2,000.
Not much harm befell the church in the time of King Henry VIII, who made part of the monastic buildings – probably the Abbot’s House - into a Royal Palace, which was used now and again by the next three sovereigns. During Queen Elizabeth's reign, the place was leased to Sir Francis Knollys and his wife, the Queen's cousin. It became their town house - Abbey House - and Elizabeth visited often. In 1550, Edward VI had granted the Abbey Church (as he did Glastonbury) to Protector Somerset, on whose name be anything but peace. The parish church of St. Mary in Reading was rebuilt and, to provide material, the choir was taken down. In the course of this, Henry I's tomb was broken up and his bones scattered. Later, the Poor Knights' Lodgings at Windsor Castle were built of the spoils of the Lady Chapel and, in 1643, when the Parliament besieged the town, the construction of defensive works involved the stripping out of most of the nave. The tale of destruction could be lengthened, but shall not.
Edited from MR James' "Abbeys" (1925)
|© Nash Ford Publishing 2001. All Rights Reserved.|


Located in the middle of a residential neighborhood in beautiful Stanton, Michigan, FCC is a place where you can be a part of a loving family. At FCC we worship together at 10:30am on Sunday mornings with a blend of traditional and contemporary music and Biblical teaching. We share together in communion the first Sunday of each month.
During the school year, we have a choir that sings on the fourth Sunday of each month and rehearses before worship at 9:00 am if you like to sing and would like to join. We also have Sunday school for adults before worship each Sunday at 9:15am.
We also have a Women's Prayer Group, Bible studies, and other activities for you to get to know people and to grow deeper in your faith.


On behalf of our church family, we are pleased to welcome you to St. Thomas by the Sea Catholic Church, and to our beautiful Gulf beaches. All visitors are welcome to attend mass and also to join in other activities. If you are a new parishioner, please take the time to fill in a parishioner Registration Form.
Also, please inform us of any changes to your information by filling in this Notice of Change. Thank you!
St. Thomas by the Sea is the center of the diversified community of Catholics practicing their religious beliefs in the City of Orange Beach, Alabama. We are a community of a small core of permanent residents augmented by a very large transient population which is an integral part in maintaining our parish.
St. Thomas by the Sea exists for the mission of Christ. Through our Baptism we share in the mission, which is to live and witness to the values of the Gospel.
We resolve to witness to the Gospel message by providing an adequate place of worship, by living and celebrating the Word of God through our Eucharistic liturgy, prayer, study and reflection of the Scriptures, to create and sustain a community of hospitality and friendship in order to reflect God's love in a warm and inviting atmosphere to our winter parishioners and summer visitors, to create an environment of human concern to hear and respond to the cry of those in need not only in our community, but in our world.


The University Ministry Center strives to nourish, support and challenge the faith development of all members of the USD community. Through diverse partnerships across campus, University Ministry works to foster an intellectual environment in which USD students’ academic and social development is amplified through complementary spiritual growth.
Persons of all religious traditions and those still searching for their religious identity are invited to take part in University Ministry’s liturgies, programs, activities and services. In addition to a vibrant Roman Catholic sacramental life, University Ministry offers immersion trips, local service opportunities, retreats, small faith-sharing communities, pastoral counseling and companionship, scripture study and all-faith services.
All of the center’s programs are designed to empower students, staff, faculty and alumni to:
- Build a faith community
- Develop a mature faith
- Educate and work for justice
- Nurture personal development
- Cultivate leadership for church and society
- Form a Christian conscience
Those interested in learning more about the Catholic Church or preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) may take part in programs presented from mid-September through May. Likewise, University Ministry staff members are available to assist in preparation for marriage in Founders Chapel, The Immaculata, or in another Catholic church.
The USD community gathers in prayer each Sunday evening for Eucharistic liturgies in Founders Chapel at 7 and 9 p.m. During these vibrant celebrations the campus community is renewed and refreshed for the on-going work of finding God in the midst of study, work and play.
For more information on our center, please visit us in the University Center, Room 238, call (619) 260-4735, or go to www.sandiego.edu/um


Praise the LORD, my soul.
I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,
the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The LORD reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD. Psalm 146 NIV (emphasis from blogger)
My thoughts so far on this journey!
How is it going for you? Three days in, and not really tempted to much yet and sensing God's presence each step along the way.
I don't think I ever shared what my Lenten Practice was going to be this year yet, so here I confess to you. Of course that just increases my accountability.
I am doing one strengthening practice by adding this blog and one fasting practice by limiting my television to less than 2 hours each day. Since I live with my parents who are very tuned in with news, weather and some fun programs, I have chosen to have a few hours to connect with them as we share in what is on the old tube. (And so while I can't be full blown march madness - I will get a few lunatic moments!)
As I contemplate each day, so far I really think that limiting is better than outright avoidance. In this world God has given us many good things and if we don't use them we are not honoring God. I often speak about this in measures of dietary practice.
Please enjoy the writing of Devin Brown from a Christianity Today Article on "Lent in Narnia...
C.S. Lewis makes this point in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" as Edmund and Lucy so
Poignantly learn. Early in the story, the White Witch creates a box filled with "several pounds" of Turkish Delight which Edmund greedily devours. Donald Glover has called Lewis's specific choice of Turkish Delight a master stroke, one made with clear intention. What would have been lost if the Witch had tempted Edmund with, for example, oatmeal and raisin cookies?
Turkish Delight is "a highly overrated sweet," and Narnia fans who have gone in search of the candy may agree, wondering how Edmund could have fallen prey to the overly sugared confection. Surely the name promises more than the candy delivers, and this, perhaps, is Lewis's point. Furthermore, it is not just Delight but Turkish Delight, a title containing, as Glover has observed, "Oriental and romantic overtones," further promises left unfulfilled by the sticky goo.
The Witch's magic candy is a sickly imitation of the wholesome food the children are served at the Beavers' house. There they eat boiled potatoes with "a great big lump of deep yellow butter" from which everyone can take "as much as he wanted." The main course is "good freshwater fish" followed by "a great and gloriously sticky marmalade roll" fresh from the oven and steaming hot. Afterwards, they each have a big cup of tea, push back their stools, and let out "a long sigh of contentment."
Lewis's point with the Turkish Delight, is not that enjoying sweets is bad; in fact, his position is quite the contrary. Enjoyment of life's pleasures in all their variety and plenitude will be an essential quality of proper Narnian life. This was seen earlier in the tea that Mr. Tumnus provided for Lucy which included "a nice brown egg, lightly boiled, for each of them, and then sardines on toast, and then buttered toast, and then toast with honey, and then a sugar-topped cake." Meilaender points out that in both his fiction and non-fiction, Lewis suggests over and over that "to be fully human involves a certain stance toward the things of creation," one of deep enjoyment but not slavish adoration.
"A properly Christian view of things requires more than a right relationship to the things of heaven," Jonathan Rogers writes.
"It requires a right relationship to the things of earth too." Rogers concludes that "by allowing the reader to watch the creation of another world, C. S. Lewis evokes an appropriate awe and delight in the things of this world."
...back to Darcy
And so I pray for each us a proper reordering as whatever practices we have taken up, denied or limited are helping us to more clearly see the world about us from a HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE.
I am most curious about others practices so please comment on the blog/email/facebook what you been led to do and each Saturday I will comment and seek comment on the balance, struggles and God moments within this journey.
I am also seeking some recipes to share that can be considered Lenten worthy (no meat, desserts, or rich in fat) SO PLUG IN WITH ME FOR THE JOURNEY.
And realize that God in working in you and through you and all around you,
OUR PRAYER OH LORD IS THAT WE SEE AND KNOW YOUR PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES. Have a great day everyone!


Jenn Johnson, who, along with her husband, Brian, is one of the senior worship pastors at Bethel Church in Redding, California. Bethel is no stranger to controversy.
This time, Jenn Johnson, a female pastor who is on stage mocking the throne of God, says that angels sit around the throne of God having “farting contests.”
Jenn goes on to say that this is “who God is to her,” and that he’s “silly,” and that he is a “lot more fun” than we all think. She also admits that what she is doing is “irreverent.”
She also admits that what she is doing is “irreverent.” You can watch the video HERE.


He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, That we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: By whose stripes ye were healed.
For my thoughts are not as your thoughts, neither are your ways as my ways, saith the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the [...]
Psalm 103:1-5 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 all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee [...]


Sunday 13th October – Trinity 17
- 8.30 am – Holy Communion (Order 2)
- 10.00 am – Holy Communion (Order 1)
Thank you to Revd Rick Gates who is leading our services today
Readings at today’s services:
- Jeremiah C29, v1, 4-7
- Luke: C17, v11-19
Genesis – in the Church Hall at 10am
- Parable 3 – “The Lost Sheep”
- About St Luke’s Day (18th October)
NEWS & STORIES
A small group of 6 of us went to the New Victoria Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme to see the play ‘The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart' for our July meeting. None of us really knew what to expect, and at the interval we all looked at each other (over a cup of tea...
It feels as though the summer is shaping up to be quite typically British...we have spells of torrential downpours with some flash flooding and then we have extended periods of tropical heat. Initially, we like the heat and the long summer days but after too long we...
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As another year at Genesis draws to a close it’s time to reflect on highlights and learning. All our work focus’ on bringing God’s kingdom in heaven to earth and how we can be the hands and feet of God learning from the teachings in the Bible. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’...
Preparing the Vicarage ready for our new vicar and his wife – painting sessions: 12th and 19th October
We are looking for volunteers to join two Saturday sessions emulsion painting the walls and ceilings of some of the vicarage rooms before Rob and Jean McLaren move in during November.
The painting sessions are on Saturdays 12th & 19th October between 9am and 3pm.
PAINT, BRUSHES AND DUST SHEETS WILL BE PROVIDED but if you prefer to bring your OWN equipment, including step-ladders, please do.
Even if you can only spare AN HOUR or so, your help will be very welcome.
Please contact JAYNE WEAVER on 0774 832 8032 if you can help.


Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑lun. 10 oct. 2022 12:31
Teresa Benns seems however to hold the opposite, as she wrote recently (on the 17th of June 2021) that :
There she returns to an old error, a plain heresy, defended for a time by various bishops from Africa, including Saint Cyprian who, were it not for the patience and firmness of Popes Saint Stephen Ist and Saint Xystus II after him, nearly got lost into a schism of their own and nearly fell into heresy.Teresa Benns a écrit : one excommunicated [priest] however for heresy whose Mass would be invalid
Those bishops went indeed as far as holding that all the Sacrements conferred by schismatics and heretics, (Donatists mostly at this time), were by themselves "invalid", even baptism, which according to them had to be reiterated on those who returned to Catholic unity.
Now, when the sacramental rite has been respected in its essentials (and without any publicly expressed counter-intention against the very nature of the administered sacrement), sacramental validity follows, ex opere operato.
Pope Saint Stephen thus retorted to them that their opinion and practice were contrary to the Holy Tradition of Mother Church, using a now-famous formula :
« Nihil innovetur, nisi quod traditum est » (Denz S 110), « Let us not innovate in anything, but stick to that which is traditional », that which has always been held and done.
No less was needed than the glorious martyrdom of Pape Saint Stephen (he was beheaded on his pontifical throne just after having finished saying Mass in the Catacombs), to make Saint Cyprian admit that the Pope had not spoken thus out of weakness or complacency towards the heretics and schismatics, and finally submit to the Pope's sentence, which expressed the Church's constant doctrine and practice.
May Teresa Benns have the humility and the common sense to emulate this example, by acknowledging the errors she made on those matters.
Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑jeu. 13 oct. 2022 12:03
She also misunderstands the stability of jurisdiction, both of the bishops and the ordinaries such as the parish priests or religious superiors, their power to delegate a part of their jurisdiction to their subordinates :
This level of misapplication borders on the grotesque.Teresa Benns a écrit : arguments that bishops were allowed to function during interregnums in the past.
Pope Pius XII on more than one occasion warns of harking back to previous discipline to justify one’s actions.
As though, in the past (or at any time for that matter), the bishops did not keep their jurisdiction during a vacancy of the Holy See!!!!
Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑mar. 18 oct. 2022 12:21But it is she who with her warped understanding believes that bishops lose their jurisdiction during a vacancy of the Holy See!!!! and pretends to pit recent laws against earlier ones.Teresa Benns a écrit :
« NO MORE CAN ANY CATHOLIC IN HIS RIGHT SENSES REPUDIATE EXISTING LEGISLATION OF THE CHURCH TO REVERT TO PRESCRIPTIONS BASED ON THE EARLIEST SOURCES OF CANON LAW.»
As though Pius XII had changed the laws!!??
She does not even know that his Constitution Vacantis Apostolicae Sedis is almost a word for word repetition, except for this or that detail, of Pope St. Pius X's one.
Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑ven. 21 oct. 2022 11:14Teresa Benns a écrit :
No one, not even the cardinals, can usurp the jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff during an interregnum. They cannot do what only the pope is typically allowed to do. This includes erecting seminaries
This is grotesquely false. Such establishments depend on diocesan bishops (c. 1354-1359) or religious superiors ...
Teresa Benns a écrit :
This includes : (...)
This is false. This supplied jurisdiction exists and remains available to all those who have the power to delegate it, within the limits defined by their functions.
Since Ms. Benns extends the scope of this quote far beyond its intended meaning, she eventually reaches a point where she declares "invalid" just about anything done during a vacancy.Teresa Benns a écrit : “In truth, if anything adverse to this command should by chance happen to come about or be attempted, We declare it, by Our Supreme Authority, to be null and void.” (Quote from Vac. Apost. Sedis)
In this regard, she is of one mind with a certain Lady-Pope.
Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑mar. 25 oct. 2022 15:40
The quote above tells volumes once again about how she mingles together liceity and validity on the pratical level.Teresa Benns a écrit : Bishops have simulated ordinations without dimissorial letters, (2373). Traditional “priests” have simulated the Mass and Sacraments, (Can. 2322).
Teresa Benns a écrit :
These are only some of the offenses racked up against them. It is complicated because the functions of their clerics must be judged on two separate standards; the one they claim applies to them as “clerics” and the one that the law actually indicates as applying to them in a lay capacity. If they hold themselves to be clerics (and there is no certainty that they ever became clerics) then they incur excommunications as such but only where matter of conscience are concerned. If not then they still incur infamy of law and the penalties for heresy and schism (communicatio in sacris), also defending heresy and simulating the Sacraments. But in reality they are to be considered laymen and the penalties for clerics would not apply. This is because those things they attempted were prevented from taking effect by Pius XII during an interregnum.
What a mess. She assured us often at first that none of the tonsures were valid, and therefore that not one of those men was a cleric, but now she says :
so there might be a possiblity after all!!?? When should we believe her, when she says one thing or when she says the opposite!? Is this some sort of navigation by sculling, according to her fuzzy estimate of the moment? So many confusions there!Teresa Benns a écrit : there is no certainty that they ever became clerics
Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑jeu. 03 nov. 2022 10:38This is false as stated, by reason of excessive vagueness. Jurisdiction comes from God, its source, through the Pope, but once received it stays in the recipient unless revoked; besides, it can also be delegated at several levels in the hierarchy, by all those who possess such a power of delegation; and finally, certain delegations are by law itself and codified by it.Teresa Benns a écrit : Jurisdiction cannot be supplied in any way, by anyone but the Supreme Pontiff, as has been the constant practice of the Church.
There, as before, the word simulated is distorted and used in a non-canonical sense, by a factual confusion between canonical and moral illicitness and sacramental invalidity.Teresa Benns a écrit : The simulated ordination of such men by doubtfully valid bishops, who could call men to the priesthood in the first place because calling and clerical tonsure both are acts of episcopal jurisdiction.
When false bishops are involved, there is indeed a simulation in the canonical sense ; but not if the bishops are true bishops (even if schismatic), the situation is like the one where a priest fallen into schism nevertheless retains his sacremental power to consecrate, even though his use of this power is immoral and gravely sinful; and not either because of a tonsure received illegally or in other words illicitly.
Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑mer. 09 nov. 2022 10:09There, we have once again confusion between canonical or moral illicitness and sacramental invalidity, between a lack of jurisdictional power and a lack of the power of orders, even though the latter is used immorally and in a gravely sinful way.Teresa Benns a écrit :
« The simulated consecration of bishops, for to consecrate bishops a papal mandate (permission) is required and there is no pope. In proceeding to consecration, these schismatic bishops usurp the power of the pope to approve the consecration and grant jurisdiction to the bishop, which can come only from the Roman Pontiff (Pope Pius XII’s Mystici Corporis; Ad Sinarum Gentum). »
Thus, the Chinese “patriot bishops” consecrated at the behest of the Communist party and despite Pope Pius XII's interdiction, were schismatics, excommunicated, suspended a divinis and considered as such, but they were not "non-bishops".
Their consecration was gravely unlawful and schismatical, was a grave sin, and was considered as such, but it was sacramentally valid nonetheless.
Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑lun. 14 nov. 2022 14:40
All this looks like an attempt at face-saving, after her earlier confusion between validity and licitness was pointed out to her and blamed on her.
But this attempt fails and only worsens her preceding confusions by yet another bogus deduction, even more obviously outlandish.
Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑jeu. 17 nov. 2022 13:00
The credibility gap is widened even more by the following peremptory (again) claim :
If we take this literally and apply it from the start, we should conclude that all the marriages after V2 are invalid (because the ecclesiastical witness must have jurisdiction), that all those who were baptized in the parishes after V2 automatically became participants in schism and the V2 heresies (before they could hear them stated and understand them !?), and similarly for all the laymen who did not separate themselves immediately, etc...Teresa Benns a écrit : Under Can. 188 no. 4, all bishops who recognized the counter-Church as the Catholic Church and engaged in communicatio in sacris by celebrating the John 23 “mass” and the Novus Ordo Missae became guilty of schism and lost all jurisdiction. This could have been avoided had they refused to participate in the false Vatican 2 council and sign its documents and withdrawn their obedience to and cooperation with the false popes as heretics and schismatics. Lefebvre, Thuc and others schismatic bishops like them who established Traditionalism, thereby misleading the faithful, were far worse than those bishops who abandoned them by remaining in the Novus Ordo church.
Abbé Zins, translated by chartreux a écrit : ↑jeu. 24 nov. 2022 11:40
But one also notices a curious feature in those sort of studies made by those sort of laymen, namely that in their mind, law and principles (as they understand them) apply to the clergy only, and not to themselves at all.
Even more curiously, they are some rules that she applies to the clergy and extends to the "traditionalists" (in which she includes schismatics from old lines and sectarians) :
Now, according to her preceding claims, she should extend this to just about everybody :Teresa Benns a écrit : Traditionalists have joined a non-Catholic Church by following the leaders of various Traditionalist sects, non-Catholic because these sects do not recognize a true pope as their head
- All those who did not reject V2 from the start (even if they were unaware of its contents !!??)
- And even those who rightly call the impostor a false pope.
Because to recognize a true pope as one's head, one obviously needs a true pope present to begin with.
She herself thus faces this impossibility also.
But perhaps there is someone that she holds to be a true pope?
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A Little Light of Love.
There are an infinite number of ways to approach a mystery but one stands out by far when we consider the mystery of Christmas. We will summarize our reflection with the realization that a little Light of Love entered our humanity to conquer the darkness of the demonic.
Little is the way our Lord entered this world and it was the little ones, the shepherds who first received the angelic message that God was in Bethlehem as a little new born babe. Littleness is a requisite for understanding and living in the truth revealed in the dark of the night. At that midnight hour the God Who created everything passes through the womb of the virgin to begin His mission amongt us. “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” The poor shepherds came to that crib and in the emanation of light flowing from the babe’s body they knew that their savior had been born.
Consider the mighty at that time. There was the Roman Emperor, the Caesar, who didn’t know what was taking place besides his counting of the people he ruled. Then there were the four Jewish kings indicating that the house of the Israelites was divided and soon would come to an end. Recall the names of Caiphas and Annas who were to spiritual lead their people as high priest. Kings and Priests would not lower themselves to visit a place like Bethlehem. Pride can never see the mark of God until they fall.
Let us turn to the next aspect of the mystery. The Lord who shall unite His Kingship with the office of eternal high priest is the Light of the world. “I am the Light” Jesus stated and that light began to shine in the darkness of the midnight hour. The world was in darkness and sought only the tinsel light of pleasure and power. The Light of the world did not come to increase our financial bank account, nor did He come to take over worldly power and He certainly rejected all manner of politics. Light offers us to gifts: first, the gift of illumination and second, the gift of warmth in love.
In His Light we come to understand that we must pass through the purging of our sins (the purgative life). We will enter into the life of illumination for we will see the importance of following the Lord in the simplicity of truth. The reflection on the word of God and His works will give us insight into the patterns of God in the world today. Meditation will open new vistas for us to explore within our mind’s eye. Every new understanding of the truth will help us form a life in Christ.
In the meantime, the tinsel lights decorating storefronts, trees and homes only cry out to the heart of the consumer. They do not satisfy the longings of the human heart which does not long for the things of this world of darkness but for the eternal light of truth. Every truth expands the power of the person who enters into its grip. Darkness makes the world ling incapable of recognizing the presence of God. There is no light in satan’s gimmicks nor is there any love there to refresh our hungry hearts. No, today darkness must be confronted everywhere and the light of the Christ child will bring the joy of true living back to our homes.
Finally, the little Light of Love embraces our hearts with the antidote to the darkness of pride, envy, hatred, lust… We were made for Love and Love came to make us lovable. Of ourselves we are useless mounds of dust organized in a divine way to challenge this world of sin. We have fallen but we will not remain defeated. Our life now is no longer under the weight of the Law but now we are under the guidance of grace. Sanctifying grace calls us from the baptism we received; to the confession of our sins, to the reception of the Holy Eucharist that each of these sacraments infuse new love within our hearts. With this love we crush the serpent’s head and all his minions. Love conquers hatred and Love will come to us undeserving citizens of this world. Love’s goal is to make us lovable and to daily increase that love that in our death we will call on the name of Jesus. In that moment we will recall all the Christmases, all our confessions, all our holy communions and we will joyfully open our arms to receive the little Light of Love Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ.
How I pray that each of you will find the little Light of Love in your homes and in your hearts. God bless you all.
In the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Fr. Richard Voigt, S.D.B.


My brother and his wife are having twins. Identical twin girls, very rare. This is not a coincidence. God has His purposes, and He wants as many of His spirit children as possible to come to Earth to have a physical body. So when two righteous Latter-day Saint parents decided to welcome one more baby into their family of six, God decided to let them welcome two.
I'm devastated over the abortion battle, that there even is such a thing. Every time I think about it, my soul cries for those sweet spirits in Heaven who are waiting to be born, but the evil deeds of men prevent them from coming.
One of the lowest evils is the taking of a human life before it's even had a chance to begin. Our President-elect Obama wants to sign into law an act that will allow this to happen on an even more enormous scale than it already does. Abortions will be legal well into the pregnancy, babies from botched abortion attempts will be left to die on a sterile table in a doctor's office or hospital, and many, many babies will be denied the right to be born.
A woman's choice? Hogwash. Why on earth does her freedom of choice include the right to decide the fate of another's life? I’m appalled that so many people have been deceived and lulled into thinking that this is a matter of personal choice. How is another person’s life the matter of choice for someone else? In God’s eyes, abortion is murder, plain and simple.
Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a medical doctor has made this perfectly clear:
Elective abortion has been legalized in many countries on the premise that a woman is free to choose what she does with her own body. To an extent this is true for each of us, male or female. We are free to think. We are free to plan. And we are free to do. But once an action has been taken, we are never free from its consequences.There are rare instances when abortions are performed because the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or the mother’s health is in jeopardy. It is being used today as a form of birth control. Despite this evil and disgusting practice, the work of God will not be thwarted. My brother and his wife are supreme examples of this. Instead of one baby, they will have two. I have so many friends who are raising righteous, good families who’ve been blessed with twins or multiples, sometimes more than once. I applaud these people and I truly believe that God, our Heavenly Father, is sending His precious children down in groups to families who will welcome them in order to combat this abhorrent man-made practice.
To understand this concept more clearly, we can learn from the astronaut. Anytime during selection or preparation, he or she is free to withdraw from the program. But once the spacecraft has lifted off, the astronaut is bound to the consequences of the previous choice to make the journey.
So it is with people who choose to embark on a journey that leads to parenthood. They have freedom of choice—to begin or not to begin that course. When conception does occur, that choice has already been made.
Yes, a woman is free to choose what she will do with her body. Whether her choice leads to an astronaut’s mission or to a baby, her choice to begin the journey binds her to the consequences of that choice. She cannot “unchoose.”
When the controversies about abortion are debated, “individual right of choice” is invoked as though it were the one supreme virtue. That could only be true if but one person were involved. The rights of any one individual do not allow the rights of another individual to be abused. In or out of marriage, abortion is not solely an individual matter. Terminating the life of a developing baby involves two individuals with separate bodies, brains, and hearts. A woman’s choice for her own body does not include the right to deprive her baby of life—and a lifetime of choices that her child would make. (Ensign, October 2008)


Today we received the amazing news that we have been matched with a child to adopt! Last week we presented our profile to a birthmother carrying a little girl. We have been waiting and praying for the past week and today we received the news that the birthmother chose us to adopt her child. The baby's due date is February 15th. We are so surprised, humbled, and excited all at the same time. It is awesome to see the Lord orchestrating things for our good and His glory!
The next step for us is to begin the paperwork process with the agency and start figuring out the logistics to be able to bring Baby Reece home. The cost of the adoption is still going to be a hurtle for us and we are praying for the funding to continue to be provided. The first phase of the adoption costs actually have to be paid next week and we are not exactly sure where they are going to come from. Please continue to pray with us for provision for the finances and the wisdom to prepare for a new addition to our family. Please also pray for the birth mother to remain steadfast in her decision and to have a healthy remainder of her pregnancy.
We have been given 2 matching grants from wonderful non-profit organizations. If you would like to give and help us bring home baby Reece, you can make a tax deductible gift to either of the two organizations below:
1) Hand in Hand Christian Adoption Inc.
Landrum Family Adoption (only put our name on the outside envelope not on memo line of the check)
18524 Juniper Street
Gardner KS 66030
2) Lifesong for Orphans
PO Box 40/202 N. Ford Street
Gridley, IL 61744
**PLEASE put Landrum Adoption #2402 in the Memo line
We are excited and waiting to see what God is going to do in and through us and Reece.
Thank you for partnering with us!


As a ministry arm of Victory Missions, Victory Alliance is a movement of pastors and Christian leaders throughout the world who break ground through missions outreach, make disciples through mentorship and leadership training, and plant churches through partnership and spiritual oversight.
Victory Alliance Serves in 3 areas
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Through the Victory Alliance Success for Living outreach conferences and seminars, close to 1 million people around the world have been impacted by the Good News of Jesus!
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BigHouse Foundation was founded in 2009 as the dream of two college students to impact the world of foster care in a positive way. After being personally exposed to the needs these children and families have, they knew they could no longer sit back and do nothing. BigHouse now focuses on serving families in two ways, by providing resources and building relationships.
Our mission is to connect the needs of foster families with the generosity of the community through the love of Jesus Christ. We aim to impact the lives of children in foster care in a positive way through meeting their needs and serving their foster families. We are passionate about advocating for these families and educating the community on the needs of children in the foster care system.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27
- To impact our local foster care community in a positive way.
- To provide support that sustains current foster and adoptive families.
- To walk alongside foster and adoptive families as they navigate the world of foster care and adoption.
- To provide opportunities and experiences of a typical childhood for children in foster care.
- To create opportunities for families to build relationships with others in the foster care community.
- To advocate for children in the system.
In 2007, just after my husband Blake and I were married, my parents became foster parents in Lee County. Their experience of foster care, and later, adoption from foster care, opened my eyes to the often-overlooked experiences of children caught in this system. While finishing my undergraduate degree in human development, I recognized my calling to serve foster families by offering community support for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Thus began the dream of BigHouse, an organization to meet these needs through the generosity and support of the community.
BigHouse was founded in 2009 and has since grown to serve over 12,000 children in Alabama's foster care system through its various programs and events. While we facilitate these programs, it is through God's faithful provision and the generosity of our community that makes it possible to offer these resources to the families we serve. We are humbled to be part of so many children's lives and look forward to continuing the work we started as young adults.
As others have found, it is hard to work within this system for very long without asking ourselves "Could we be doing more?" In July of 2016 we began a new chapter of our BigHouse and family life by becoming foster parents. This has been a learning and growing experience for us and we know God is equipping us to better serve other foster families through this experience. Thank you for your interest in BigHouse and we appreciate your prayers!
Founder and Executive Director