Disclosure of marriage register at Church sought under RTI
An applicant filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act referring to Section 63 of the Indian Christian Marriage Act (ICMA) 1872 and sought details of the marriage register book. He asked for the details of all the marriages that were solemnized by the church between 1975 and 1985. The information was denied by Father Tony, the parish priest of Catholic Church in Mariampura at Petlad in Anand district holding that the marriage-register-book does not come under the purview of the RTI Act.
The RTI applicant, who happens to be a Christian, has argued that under ICMA 1872, the priest is the registrar of marriage and hence, is governed by the same Act. Therefore, information generated regarding the solemnizing and registration of marriages should be pro-actively disclosed under Section 4 of the RTI Act. Further, he has threatened to move court after he was denied access to the marriage register book.
The Section 63 of ICMA 1872 states: "Every person licensed under this Act to grant certificates of marriages, and keeping a marriage-register-book under Section 62 shall, at all reasonable times, allow search to be made in such book, and shall, on payment of the proper fee, give a copy, certified under his hand, of any entry therein."
There has been a spate of RTI applications involving the religious bodies. The Madras High Court had recently ruled that the temples are covered under the RTI Act. http://www.rtifoundationofindia.com/madras-hc-temples-are-covered-under-rti-act-1842


Can an old dog really learn new tricks? He can and will if he is hungry! Selah. Can you really make a horse drink after leading him to the water? You can if he is thirsty! Selah. I hope you are smiling and maybe even laughing!
Maybe you have forgotten what I do for a living because in some of the past newsletters I had seemingly forgotten what I do myself! The business side of the ministry can really rob me of the joy side of the ministry when I let it, by focusing too much on things I cannot control. It makes me forget what I have been gifted and anointed to do and that is present the gospel in an entertaining way! I had a new realization and even a new revelation while reading the newspaper recently. Seeing what is going on in this country morally and politically depresses me greatly! The news on TV or the internet and the newspaper drives me to the word of God for comfort which is not a bad thing but my mind and emotions are affected to the point that my whole day gets wasted on what other people do and say. I eventually have to see what God says and REST in that! The word says in Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the Lord is my strength” and in Proverbs 7:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine! SOOO!
That means I am GOOD for people’s health!! While in prayer recently the Holy Spirit whispered to me that I am a SPECIALIST!! Specializing in making the funny- not the money! When I make the funny HE will take care of the money!
I am even laughing now at myself as I say that!
So many times as I start with comedy and end with ministry the altar is filled! I don’t know anyone else that can do that. I have to be careful not to get too proud and pray the right way. A couple in their 60’s was praying. The lady prayed “Lord I want to wake up in Hawaii”. She woke up in Hawaii. The man prayed “Lord I want to wake up and be married to a woman 30 years younger than me”.
He woke up and was 90 years old!! Pray the right way! A man died and went to heaven. At the pearly gates, Saint Peter asked “did you do anything on earth that had merit”? He said “yes I did. I came down a road and saw a young lady being harassed by a group of Hell’s Angels. I stopped and smacked the biggest one of them, kicked his bike over and said back off or you all will get the same thing”! Saint Peter said “I am impressed! When did this happen”? The man said “just a few minutes ago’!!! Pray the right way! Making the funny!!!!
On a more serious note. I had a young girl come forward for prayer following a comedy service as the ministry time came. She was weeping at the altar with her family. As I prayed with them they told me she had tried to commit suicide that week. I believe the comedy helped her to forget her problems! Thank you Lord!!!
In the next few weeks, I have been asked to do two shows for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, the Chapel Services for race events in Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte and Martinsville as well more prison shows in Troy, NC and Carrabelle, FL. Unlike most church services where there is a love offering, these are on a volunteer basis.
I am thanking YOU for being my partner in prayer and in helping me to underwrite some of these outreaches financially with your tax deductable gifts to Agape Ministries Inc. My joy is always full when I can make the funny.


Transformed by The Lord
posted on September 16, 2013
A DAUGHTER’S STORY:
My parents were born and raised in Taiwan. Yet my two older sisters and I were born and raised in the United States, in an area where people of Asian background make up only a small percentage of the population. Most people in the area where we live are Caucasian, so when I went to elementary school, I understood the English language better than Mandarin Chinese. I used to go to a Chinese school where they help American-born kids learn to read and write in the Chinese language, but after going for a year, I stopped. So I really only heard Chinese spoken at home. Though I can understand most Mandarin Chinese, I cannot speak it that well. I guess I was really self-conscious about my ethnic background. I always wished I lived in an area with people more ethnically similar to me.
When I first went on a mission trip to China, I was fourteen years old. The team was made up of overseas Chinese people and was run in Chinese. But I did not want anything to do with the mission team, nor did I care about being in China at all. I didn’t want to go; I was forced to go by my mom. The whole summer I kept thinking to myself, “Why do I need to go to a place I’ve never been to? I mean, I don’t know any of these people. They barely understand my language. I should be with my friends in the summer, not in an area I’m not familiar with.”
That was my attitude for almost the entire time in China. I was just going through the motions of the trip with the mission team. One day, the entire team prayed over me. I was reluctant for them to pray for me, but at that moment I felt the Holy Spirit. I started to realize that my attitude was wrong. If I want to grow in God, it cannot always be about me.
After that experience, my outlook on the rest of the trip changed. I had a new “set of eyes” towards the culture and the lives of the local people. I started to notice the differences between myself and the people of the area. For example, the people were so content and seemed so happy. They treated visitors (our mission team) with such hospitality and the utmost respect. Where I live, people are not as welcoming or respectful. That hit me. How could people who knew so little about us still treat us so nicely? And how could they be so happy with the little that they had?
I started to question myself about why I was so resentful about coming to China. The people had been so kind to me, but at the time I had not even cared. I had not wanted to go on the trip for selfish reasons. My outlook towards the people changed and by the end of the trip, I felt more content and humbled about what I had. I also started to treat people with more respect.
Three years later, I got the chance to go on another mission trip to the same area of China. This time, I was super excited. My mind was all for seeing the culture that I had seen before, and also maybe seeing a different culture in a new and unfamiliar area. As I got on to the plane to fly back to that area, I could hardly wait. The flight took off and before I knew it we had landed. I recognized some faces, but many were new. The atmosphere was different – I was different. God had changed me in ways I could not have changed on my own; and I cannot thank Him enough.
We spent a lot of time praying. We prayer-walked around the town and villages; we biked through the area; we prayed for the villagers that they would hear God’s voice; and we prayed for God’s authority to be established over the places we visited.
One thing I liked about praying was that, even though I did not know Mandarin Chinese that well, there was no language barrier. Everyone prayed in their own language and the Holy Spirit took away the language barrier. That helped the entire mission team to bond and get closer spiritually and mentally. During the trip, we helped local people pull weeds out of the potato fields; we prepared food for the pigs to eat; and we interacted with the local people and their children. Wherever we went, we gave candies to the kids and blessed them with God’s presence. The local people were very hospitable and welcomed us into their homes. They shared their culture – their food, their music, and sometimes even their dances. From time to time we were able to share testimonies with them. It was a great time and I will never forget the people on the team, the people from the local area, and the people we met.
After being on this second trip, I felt so much closer to God. One day when I was praying, God spoke to me with a song. I’ve never felt that way before. And when that happened, I knew that this mission trip was meant to be.
Comparing myself when I was fourteen to now as an eighteen year-old, I know I’m a completely different person. My relationship with God is stronger than ever before. I still have many things to work on, but I am much improved! I would like to thank my mom for taking me on that first trip to China, because without that reality check I probably would not be writing this.
Not until I went to Taiwan and Mainland China for the first time, did I finally feel comfortable with myself. I think being around people who were more similar to me helped me. Now, I am a lot more proud of my background and am eager to learn more about it. When I go to college, I’m going to study Mandarin Chinese as my minor, so I can have more knowledge of my background.
I strongly encourage you to go to China! If God is calling you, go on a mission trip. You might not know why or what you are going for, but He will use you – whether it’s through a talent you have, through helping people, or just simply by being there. No matter what age you are or what language you speak, remember that God uses people in the most mysterious ways. So if you get the opportunity to go on a mission trip, just take it! You never know how much you might impact someone’s life.
A MOTHER’S RESPONSE:
Six months prior to my youngest daughter’s first mission trip to China, God spoke to me about getting passports for all my children. I was puzzled and kept delaying putting the applications in. Then God spoke again through a pastor who works on the mission field. He suggested that all Christian parents should take their teenagers on a mission trip to experience cross-culture mission when they reach the age of 14. I had booked the flights and applied for the visa within a month; and we were on our way to Asia.
It’s not easy raising teenagers, let alone taking them to a foreign land for a week of mission. Their view of the world is so different from ours! Halfway through the trip, my daughter was challenged by something that happened and was terrified. The entire team prayed over her and then something beautiful happened – she encountered Jesus; and He delivered her from the bondage of fear and set her free. She was a different child for the rest of the trip. She was cheerful, content, obedient and respectful.
It was two years after her first mission trip when she told me she had had a dream in which she went back to the area we had visited before. We prayed together and asked God if this was His will for her. It was a difficult decision for her because she had to choose between her beloved sports and the mission trip.
Yet a few months later, I was looking over my shoulder on a Chinese bus. There she was in the last row, leaning against her cousin, asleep. We were on our second mission trip together and I was just amazed at how God had transformed her from a timid and self-centered 14 year-old into a confident, compassionate, and mission-minded 17 year-old young girl.
My heart feels such gratitude and thanksgiving to the Lord for His work in her life. His wisdom, patience and perseverance equip, encourage, and guide me as she walks with Jesus. We have spent many hours talking about the frustration, discouragement and unfairness of this world, but we have spent even more time praising God for His promises, love, discipline and protection in our lives.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” God entrusts parents with the task of raising children to be His light in the world. As a mother, I would encourage every parent to pray and walk with your child in the journey with Christ. This summer, my daughter and I will embark on our third mission trip together to serve the people we have fallen in love with. Have you ever thought about serving the Lord on a mission team together with your child? I would encourage you to grab the opportunity!


We understand that God is at work in the lives of people all around us. He's up to things. He is stirring in their hearts.
They may not even understand what it is that's going on.
That's why God sent us. He sent us to listen, to spend time, to serve, to become indispensable.
And when people ask why we are the way we are, we're to give answer for the hope we have in Christ. But we're to do so with gentleness and respect.
Because that's Missional


S. P. R. E. D.
Special Religious Education
The S.P.R.E.D. Program, a religious education program for the developmentally disabled members of our parish, provides nourishment for their spiritual life and gives them the opportunity to share their unique gifts within the community of faith. Each participant becomes a full participating member of the church. S.P.R.E.D. gives developmentally disabled parishioners an opportunity for celebration and worship and prepares them for the sacraments of Initiation and Reconciliation. Adult catechists and "special friends" grow together in faith and with each other.
The S.P.R.E.D. process of spiritual education is accomplished through music, symbolic gestures, and sharing life experiences. Sharing in AGAPE (light refreshments at the end of each session further helps to nurture the bond and joy of the experience.
S.P.R.E.D. adult catechists meet in two hour prayer/sharing sessions prior to the meeting with the "special friends." The theme of the following week's session is experienced among the catechists in preparation for the following week when whole community - catechists and "special friends" - meet. Special liturgies during the course of the year are also celebrated as a community.
S.P.R.E.D. serves age groups from children to adults. Center groupings are as follows: 6-10 years old, 11-16 years old, 17-21 years old and 22 years and older.
Note: Previous experience in working with the developmentally disabled is not required or necessary to fully participate as a minister of this program. For more information, contact the Religious Education Center, or send E-mail.
Saint John the Baptist Mary Vianney
3609 Diamond Hill Road
Cumberland, Rhode Island 02864


Hematite Handmade Beaded Bracelet - The stone of grounding, protection and healing.
Saint Christopher Sterling Silver Charm - The patron Saint of travel and protection; St. Christopher is known to keep one guarded during times of trouble and throughout your life journey.
-Each beaded Saint Christopher Hematite charm bracelet is accented with two Pyrite stones worn to bring good luck and good fortune to the wearer.
-8mm Hematite stones
-Hematite stones are natural stones therefore bracelet color may slightly vary from Hematite bracelet to Hematite bracelet. Each and every Hematite bracelet is truly unique.


Christadelphian Ecclesias in Rhode Island
on Rhode Island Cable TV Statewide Interconnect B
Every Wednesday at 12:00 noon.
- Worship Service: 9:45 am
- Sunday School: 11:00 am (Sept-June)
- Public Lecture: 7:00 pm, call for details
- Bible Class: Wednesday 7:30 pm
For Details: Please contact Craig Nevers
Providence Ecclesia *
Sunday Meeting Location:
Grange Hall, Wheerlock Ave., Cranston, RI
- Sunday School: 9:30 am
- Worship Service: 11:00 am
For Details: Until a local contact is established, please write to Scott Stewart in San Francisco, California.
- Worship Service: 10:00 am
- Sunday School: 11:30 am
- Bible Class: Wednesday 8:00 pm
For Details: Please contact Jed Dillingham
* This ecclesia maintains the unamended Birmingham Statement of Faith (BUSF) as its basis of fellowship. Nearly all ecclesias worldwide hold the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith (BASF) as their basis of fellowship.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please email the site administrator.


At present I am in the Kingdom of Tonga on behalf of Unitingworld. I am with three companions from the Uniting Church in Australia (Rev. Dr. Cliff Bird, Rev. Nau Ahosivi and Alimonie Taumoepeau). We have been invited by the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga to connect with the churches here and conduct disaster recovery chaplaincy training with the view to the establishment of a national disaster recovery network.
On Friday 15th the program was launched in a ceremony which included many of the ministers of the Free Wesleyan Church and key leaders of many other denominations. The church’s president gave a scriptural reflection and the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Siaosi Sovalini, brought the official address. There was a tangible sense of anticipation and excitement, from all present, about this initiative. It seems the time is ripe. As the speaker reminded everyone, Tonga is second only to Vanuatu on the international risk register for natural disasters. This vulnerable island nation is no stranger to cyclones, high tides, Volcanic eruption and earthquakes; and the churches are keen to train and organise their ministry agents to work alongside relief agencies when disasters strike.
One of the very real challenges to this was that there was simply no word in the Tongan language which stands as an equivalent to the English word “Chaplain”.
Tonga has a very well established understanding of the role and the status of ministers, who are highly respected in their communities; but to see a ministry agent working out and beyond the known structures of worship and faith community leadership is a radically new concept. It is a personal, social and theological revolution to think, train and minister in this way.
The challenge of finding a Tongan equivalent to “chaplain” fell to the much-respected wordsmith Rev Dr, Mohenoa Puloka who, after some reflection suggested the word “Takiama”.
The origin of the Takiama goes back to the ancient history and culture of Tonga. The term literally means “catcher of the light”. When people of the islands travelled by day, they were guided by the winds and the waves; when they travelled by night they looked to the stars in the sky to navigate. The people who were had this skill were called Takiama, because they had the ability to ‘catch the light’, and – in the darkness – walk with the people, steering them to where they needed to go.
I have heard many metaphors used to describe disaster recovery chaplaincy, but none as vivid as this. In that context the chaplain is the “Takiama” for the people – the one who, in the greatest darkness – can look beyond it and catch the light of God to lead them forward.


by FaithZette Staff | Updated 13 Feb 2018 at 8:57 AM
When three different publishers announced last year they would all produce books about President Donald Trump’s faith, some wags took to social media to say — wow, those are going to be short books.
But just because Trump has not made a habit of spending much time in church doesn’t mean there isn’t much to say about him and faith.
Two of those books are now available, as of February 8, and the other, “The Faith of Donald J. Trump,” is available as of this morning, February 13.
Together these books offer 700 pages on the 45th president and religion — his own, his staunchest supporters’, and the role faith played in his election.
Read More at…


Being a Christian isn’t just being right with God, but instead more being Christlike. To be a saved one must except the simple facts that Jesus was born of a virgin, the son of God, crucified and rose again on the third day. If you except this then the Bible says you are saved. In the most famous verse in the Bible (John 3:16) we are taught that God loved the world so much he gave his only son Jesus to die for us. If we except that we shall not perish but have everlasting life. Over and over the Bible teaches us how to become saved. But, we must remember being saved and being a Christian can be viewed as different things.
In my views on this topic I too believe that being saved and being a Christian are different. Being a Christian means to show the world the love of Jesus. Being a Christian means teaching others about Jesus and leading those who are lost back to Jesus. Just because we may not be preachers, Sunday school teachers, choir members and so on doesn’t mean we are not ministers. Every Christian has a ministry. With that ministry comes the responsibility to lead others to Christ and not push them away.
By being judgmental of others, pointing our fingers, condemning someone for their actions we are pushing them away from Christianity. How can we expect someone to come to us for advice and counseling if we are pointing our finger at them? How can we lead someone to Christ if they are running away from us. Look into churches across our nation and check out their membership statuses. most churches are losing members not growing. I believe the reason why is simple.
If we continue to judge others and push them out of the church we will no longer have a church. If Pastors, Sunday school teachers and other leaders aired their own dirty laundry and let others point their fingers at them we would no longer have Pastors and so on. We need to meet others where they are. Welcome others into our church and communities as Christ would. Jesus taught about sin, how to meet the father, love and respect. He did not teach us hate, judging and condemning.
The church forgets the most important rule of the church, WITNESS. Witness to others and teach them about the mercy and love of Jesus. The Gospel is that Jesus died and rose again for our sins. We are forgiven if we except him. We grow in Christ just as a newborn grows in life. Christ is life eternal and we learn as we grow. Let God send his own convictions to us as we grow instead of pointing fingers at others. God Bless


SUNDAY 7 JANUARY, 2018 - 10am
We hope you have had an enjoyable Christmas & New Year break
and that you can join us this Sunday as we kick off the year
with our Summer Series "Voices of our Movement" where
we will hear from key leaders of the C3 Church Australia.
PRESENCE CONFERENCE 2018 - SYDNEY
For infomation go to - http://www.presenceconference.com
International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney
from April Tuesday 24 - Friday 27, 2018.
Speakers include Ps Phil & Chris Pringle, John Gray,
Edwin McManus and Levi & Nadia Marychurch.


Finding the humanity in people is one of the hardest things to do. Taking a closer look and attempting to understand the reasons behind bitterness, wickedness, jealousy and hate is challenging but not impossible. So often these traits are the symptoms of deeper issues. Brokenness. Insecurity. Pain. Unhappiness with oneself. Displaying understanding and empathy for those of whom you loves comes easy. The challenge is demonstrating these same qualities to persons that cause us harm or injury. Usually people who bully, hurt, or harm others are in more need of understanding and a prayer than retaliation. Stopping, pausing, and thinking about how broken someone has to be to cause deliberate harm to another person for no other reason than to cause frustration and headache is easy to say, but so hard to practice. However, it is necessary if one wishes to keep a peaceful spirit. We can’t control what someone else does to us. But we can control how we respond.
Finding love and forgiveness in your heart for those that wish to inflict harm takes perseverance, endurance, and courage. Love will always win over hate. Fire should not be fought with fire. Fire is fought with love, patience, and understanding. Restraint is needed to Be still and let GOD fight your battles. Adding gasoline to fire can only cause an explosion. Therefore, mindful meditation and prayer for those that bully, slander, and lie is necessary and vital to maintain a peaceful and balanced body, mind, and soul.
Loving our enemies, doing good to those that hurt us, and praying for those that mistreat us demonstrates great strength of character. Turning the other cheek is the ultimate display of bravery.
Letting go and letting GOD is essential. The enemy may oppress but only we can allow them to gain victory over our spirit. Wish them well. Be still and let GOD fight your battles.


New Book Shares One Pastor’s Unique and Personal Relationship With God
In Rushing the Floodgates of Heaven: For Those Who Are Thirsty!, Nathan French, a pastor in Washington State, offers a special look at the personal conversations he’s had with God. French previously wrote IT ISN’T Meant to Be a Secret: God Wants to Speak to You, where he shared his dramatic story of drug use and a failed suicide attempt-failed because he believes God intervened to save him for better things. Nathan’s father, himself a minister, found bring him home and help the healing begin. Furthermore, his mother has been his chief supporter and the editor of his writings, fully believing in her son’s capability to communicate with God and convey His words. God has clearly blessed Nathan with phenomenal parents.
In Rushing the Floodgates of Heaven, Nathan shares with readers the personal journal entries he made between September 2011 and April 2012, picking up where his first book left off. In each entry, he records what he hears God telling him. They are not prophecies like those of Isaiah and Jeremiah, but similar to friendly conversations, although the voice of the Old Testament God is heard clearly here as is the gentle voice of Jesus. Besides the words themselves, Nathan often has visions of Jesus doing simple things such as sitting beside him that reflect the personal closeness that God wishes to possess with most of His children.
In the passages, we get a few hints about Nathan’s conversational process with God. Nathan writes down what God tells him. In a single passage, God says:
Request Personal Prophecy
“When I speak these things to you, you should remember that you do much better when you do not have your own thoughts in the way. Write only the word I give you next. Your faith brings another word forth. That is the method that you know it really is from Me because surely in the event that you did this aside from Me, you would not need complete sentences.”
In another passage, God remarks:
“Notice that when you write by faith, you do not know what another word will probably be until you write down the final one. Write by faith-not by thoughts. Process information by My Spirit, which bypasses your brain and sends signals from the heart. The purer the heart, the purer the signal. Root out all that’s not from light and let My light shine.”
But more important than the process of how Nathan communicates with God will be the words God shares with him.
Some of these words are very dramatic. For example, during a church service, God tells Nathan:
“Point to the solution-don’t concentrate on the problem. Remember that I reward every act of faith. Put your foot in the water and strike the rock just how I tell you to. I am preparing to bring fire, and everyone will experience Me. Increase your hands to the sky; then drop them down and say, ‘I release the Holy Fire of heaven.’ I’ll come down to purify my saints.”
Third , message, Nathan tells us that “Through the church service, one son was freed from addiction. His feet were so hot that he took his shoes off for several days.”
All of the messages have daily themes or topics, and sometimes there are multiple ones per day. Topics discussed include how people treat Santa Claus compared to God, the significance of forgiveness of others, forgiveness of sins, the value of unity among Christians, help with how Nathan should serve as pastor, gossip, jealousy, obedience, and the need for people to come back to the Lord. I really like the passage about the need for Unity among Christians once the Lord says: “Everyone has issues and hurts that need help. People need each other-the days of Lone-Ranger-Christianity are over. Unity requires more than one.”


Proverbs 3:5-6 Rejoice Inspire U Poster
Motivate and inspire with the powerful message on this Scripture-based poster!
This Proverbs 3:5-6 Rejoice Inspire U poster features a Doodle Art, nature-inspired lily pad design.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
- Poster measures 13⅜" x 19"


Easter is a season to celebrate how we are the body of Christ, the Church. To that end Sean and I are going to repeat a five part series offered last year, reflecting on worship. We are going to take apart the service and consider sections of it and discuss why we do what we do.
The very first thing we do is to gather as a community. Although Christ Church is located in Dearborn, we know that we arrive here from many neighborhoods as well as other towns, near and far. Some of us come every week, others come less frequently, and some are visiting for the first time today. Carolyn spoke of the doorway of the church representing a place of transition from the ordinary world of work and worries to a sacred space of prayer and hope. No other space in our world today offers us this kind of transition and sacred space.
We all come from different home environments with different needs and hopes. In the Episcopal Church we recognize that we all come from different places with different understandings of life and faith – BUT we find our commonality in prayer and worship. That is why our prayer book is called The Book of Common Prayer. Our prayers and worship are intended to bring us together. Here at Christ Church we make an intentional effort to ground our coming together in the theology of hospitality.
A theology of hospitality means we make the same effort to extend a friendly welcome to everyone: people who are visiting for a day; those who are new to the church; and those we have known for many years. Hospitality is an attitude of the heart, one that engages us in the hope of the resurrection. God is always seeking a pathway into human lives. Acts of hospitality open us to the possibility of God acting through us as we take the risk to be hospitable.
In the hour before church begins, (the choir rehearses and) the altar guild sets the altar, these are signs of the community preparing for worship.
The altar guild is one of our most important ministries. We have several teams of women, men, and young adults who come early to set up the altar for our worship. They prepare the vessels, the wine, wafers, and bread. They light the candles, and set out worship bulletins, and clean up afterward. Their work is ordinary, as one person said; “It’s just setting a table and washing dishes,” which is correct. Aside from learning the technical names of items and their placement, it is not hard work. It is, however sacred work, caring for Christ’s table.
Once everything is prepared Sean plays a Prelude. Like the doorway, the Prelude helps us in the transition from ordinary life to worship time and sets the stage for sacred space.
(Sean speaks about prelude)…
Music can express many different emotions and set many different moods. Word and Music are integrating in the services of the Episcopal Church and of many other mainline denominations.
The Prelude is an important way in which the mood is set. As people gather and the space is prepared for worship, I almost always play a prelude. Sometimes preludes are based on hymns such as the famous organ collection The Orgelbuchlein by J.S. Bach. Sometimes, I chose to play a free composition or conduct ensemble music by instrumentalists or a small singing group.
I will play two contrasting examples of a prelude. The first is appropriate for Lent – O Lamb of God BWV 619 by J.S. Bach. The second selection will be a free composition appropriate for any season Allegro in G by John Stanley, an 18th century English organist and composer.
Following the Prelude the priest offers a welcoming prayer. It is a tradition for the priest to pray with the altar party prior to beginning worship. At Christ Church, due to the logistics of our worship space and our preparations for the procession, this prayer is said with the entire gathered congregation. The congregation is invited to stand as a symbol of participating in this opening prayer. For us this prayer has become a prayer that welcomes everyone to our worship and sets the stage for hospitality. In the season of Lent we sang a gathering song instead of saying this prayer.
After the prayer the altar party lines up: lead cross and torches followed by choir, second cross followed by altar party. As we sing the first verse the lead cross begins the procession.
The Liturgy of the Word begins the first of two segments of our normal Sunday worship. The second segment is the Liturgy of the Table, the Holy Eucharist. Originating in early Jewish synagogue services, the Liturgy of the Word is comprised of prayers, readings, and songs of praise.
The Liturgy of the Word formally begins with the “Opening Acclamation” which is a dialogue between priest and congregation. In the season of Easter this is “Alleluia Christ is Risen.” People respond, “The Lord is risen indeed, alleluia!” Then follows the Collect for Purity.
The Collect for Purity became part of Holy Eucharist in the Church of England with the first Book of Common Prayer in 1552. It was included in the first Episcopal Book of Common Prayer in 1789.
Following the Collect for Purity we say, at 8am, the Gloria. At the 10am service we sing a Hymn of Praise. Sometimes the hymn of praise is the Gloria, but the Book of Common Prayer provides the option to eliminate this or sing another hymn of praise. Instead of a hymn of praise, in Advent we say or sing the Trisagion and during Lent we sing or say the Kyrie. You can find these on page 356 of the BCP.
(Sean add something to this section)
This musical piece is one of the five main portions of the Ordinary of the service (parts that occur each week). In the early church they were sung in Latin but later in English, especially in the Anglican Church. The text of the Gloria has been set in many famous concert Masses throughout history including those of Mozart, Beethoven, and Faure. Simpler versions have been set for use in worship.
Like the Prelude, and all the music, the mood or tone of the music helps to set the overall feeling of the service. Our Service Music companion to The Hymnal 1982 has many options for the Gloria. There are some more contemporary choices in our hymnal supplement Wonder, Love and Praise. Although Terri and I may chose different setting of these music pieces for the Ordinary, we consider how these pieces will work as a whole in the service and how they work with the theme of the season and the day. At Christ Church, we have used Carl Haywood’s Glory to God from his Mass for Grace. I will play the opening.
Although we pronounce it differently, the word Collect means the same as it would in normal parlance. The idea is that we are “collecting” the thoughts, hopes, and prayers of the congregation into one. Collects begin on page 159 in the red Book of Common Prayer and run for over 100 pages. We have a collect for every Sunday, special feast days of certain saints and high holy days like Christmas.
Next week we will reflect on the remaining portions of the Liturgy of the Word – scripture, sermon, Nicene Creed, and Prayers of the People.


Rabbi Jesus: An Intimate Biography by Bruce Chilton
There is a joke within the Jewish community, which credits Jesus of Nazareth with the distinction of being Judaism's first "Reform" rabbi. A thoughtful consideration of Jewish history and the origin of the Christian faith would suggest that there is a measure of truth to this pun.
After all, it was an encounter between a liberal-leaning faction of Germany's Jewish community and Protestant Christian culture that initiated the movement of what is now known as Reform Judaism. Though reform Jews would be loath to acknowledge the Nazarene prophet as the movement's founder, there is no denying the ironic link between them. For the time being, a joke will have to suffice as the barometer of anxiety over this irony. Angst over religion, however, is not an impulse exclusive to the Jewish community. Doubtless, there hovers a pall of unease over modern, enlightened minds about the place of religion in contemporary culture. The modern worldview, one would think, has evolved beyond the prejudice and superstition of ancient times. There is a certain comfort in knowing that time and progress have put a distinctive distance between our century and, say, the Common Era's first century.
French philosopher, Paul Ricoeur, calls this distance a cultural estrangement in his essay, "Critique of Religion." It means that worldviews like that recorded in the New Testament reflect foolish, irrelevant notions about the universe and human destiny. This is what makes our perspective modern.
It was the writings of modern thinkers like Marx, Nietzsche and Freud whose iconoclastic re-interpretations of the Christian faith that helped to define this distance-this estrangement-from the first century, CE.
Given Ricoeur's interest in keeping the faith, he contends that a believing person of the modern era must also engage in a re-interpretation of religion: to strip away the centuries of debris and contamination that have layered over the Gospel narratives over the ages. Thus one can distill an "essence" of what was once a spontaneous, breach-making event during the first century.
With such a kindred interest, New Testament scholar Bruce Chilton has written an engaging study of Christianity's most enduring and controversial icon, Jesus of Nazareth. What the Anglican priest achieves in the aptly titled Rabbi Jesus is nothing less than a masterful merging of biography and sensible, exacting New Testament scholarship.
Biography—because the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke's accounts of Jesus' life) offer only a spare, enshrouding composite of the Jewish prophet. Thus, Chilton pieces together the inner-dimensions of an impulse-laden human being shaped by the circumstances of his life and times (often at the risk of speculation, which is after all the province of biography writing in our times).
New Testament scholarship—because the scholar utilizes Gospel texts translated from Greek into Aramaic (the language Jesus inhabited), with cross-examining references from Talmudic commentaries, Roman history and archeological finds. As a result, Chilton fashions the figure of "an inspired rabbi with an exclusively Jewish agenda...."
Throughout his construction of the would-be messiah's life, Chilton plods steadily across the cultural terrain of first century Palestine, sketching vivid scenes of the political, social and religious dimensions life then. Since the identity of his father had always been in doubt, the scholar posits that Jesus grew up with the status of a mamzer (the Jewish cultural equivalent of an illegitimate child). Thus, he suffered the stigma of being taunted as a product of adultery and excluded from the assembly of elders in Nazareth. For Chilton's biographical study, Jesus living out this station figures prominently as a raison d'être in Jesus' life. Following through the unfolding of this destiny, the biographer skewers together the outcast's eventual tutelage to John the Immerser (a.k.a. 'the Baptist'); from whom he receives the prophetic vision that would attract a mostly marginalized and disaffected throng of rural dwelling Jews.
One facet of this vision was Jesus' habit of referring to God as "Father" ("Abba" in Aramaic). In Chilton's view, the Nazarene compensates for a missing father as well as identify/align himself with the prophetic tradition-those who delivered God's message to erring nations were considered to possess the privilege of a specialized, revelatory relationship with the divine. Such a prophet would earn the designation "son of God" (Genesis 6:2; Psalm 2:7; Hosea 11:1).
This is one of many examples, which dislodge Jesus from the franchise of Church theology, which asserts that the relationship between God and Jesus is biological-absent a human father.
As a protégé of John the Immerser, he learns the secrets of Ezekiel's vision of 'the Chariot' (a menacing all-terrain, omni-directional war machine that symbolized the scope and influence of God's Kingdom). After breaking with John and striking out on his own, Jesus proclaimed that God's Kingdom had already arrived and its manifestations were the whirlwind of feasts, exorcisms, healings and other works of wonder that followed him wherever he wandered. Within the political climate of first century Palestine, such a driving phenomenon held great appeal for provincial-dwelling Jews anticipating liberation from the Roman Empire's choke hold. The arrival of God's Kingdom meant the eradication of any other dominion.
On the religious dimension that made Jesus such a captivating figure, Chilton elaborates on a class conflict within Israel: between the Jerusalem religious establishment and the inhabitants of the surrounding regions. At stake was the feasibility of complying with the rabbinical bathing standards for ritual purity and meeting the requirements of the Temple cult of sacrifice (which meant buying livestock at the Temple, requiring the exchange of money and the whole usurer scourge suddenly ascends in all its depravity).
Addressing the challenge of these two religious demands, Jesus proclaimed that purity came from the interior of a human being; also, he began offering his 'flesh' and 'blood' as an alternative to the Temple cult (of which Chilton cogently argues that the prophet did not offer his own flesh and blood-violating Jewish ethics—rather, elements of the feast itself, bread and wine, as a substitute for the sacrifice).
Arriving in Jerusalem for the final events of Jesus' life, Chilton summarizes what could be taken as his method for constructing this biography in its entirety:
The Gospels' technique of compacting events is never stronger than when they relate the events leading up to Jesus' capture, and what awaited him at Pilate's hands. They reflected the liturgical practice in Christianity still pervasive today, of commemorating a single 'Passion Week' around Passover, framed by 'Palm Sunday'... [and] 'Easter'. Collapsing all the events of Jesus' final few months into a few days makes them all seem muddled, and the particular context of each of them is all but lost. By extricating what the Gospels relate about Jesus' execution and it's causes from Christianity's liturgical calendar and placing them in the context of Jewish sacrificial worship and Roman politics, we can discern the actual succession of events which Jesus set in motion, and for the first time understand the causes of their terrifying outcome.
From this interpretive framework, one learns that the Passion Week unfolded over the length of several months. That Palm Sunday could only have taken place during the festival of Sukkoth—a fall celebration known as 'Feast of Booths' when Jesus' followers would have had palm branch, myrtle and willow on hand—allows Chilton to unpack the dense confusion of Passion Week, laying out each dimension the New Testament reveals. Working within that narrative frame, the New Testament scholar displays his greatest achievement of this biography—mapping and orienting the political intrigue which lead to Jesus' arrest and execution. The major players were Pontius Pilate, the prefect over Judea and Caiphas, the ruling Jewish high priest. The trouble Jesus and his followers stirred by overturning the currency changers' tables at the Temple proved to be too potent a civil threat for the high priest to disregard.
Chilton also points out how Pilate was on shaky ground with Rome at the time and the last thing he needed was to be dispatching soldiers to crush the reform-minded campaign of a charismatic prophet. An empire has to command the order it imposes, but not in so extreme a measure that it incites mass rebellion. Executing Jesus would make a grisly example of one who would dare imagine becoming 'King of the Jews'.
So unwinds the life of a first century peasant outcast-cum-prophet whose vision and memory, as Paul Ricoeur points out, "will always be carried by an extraordinarily fragile testimony...." Paring back the ages-old husk of doctrine that has grown over Jesus' life seems only to expose that fragility. Yet Bruce Chilton meets Ricoeur's challenge to a modern faith, with a wide-eyed exploration of a religious figure whose impact upon our world, to this very day, is immeasurable.
The most noticeable blemish within Rabbi Jesus appears when Chilton's earnestness to defend Jesus' against the charge of antinomianism—the act of undermining or tearing down the law revered by Judaism. Yet in doing so, the New Testament scholar makes complicit comments that engage in the ages-old spoken word/written word polemic, which privileges to speech over writing (if ever there was a poststructural ditch to dig and fall into!). Chilton would have been more successful in pointing out further examples of Jesus' acts of Jewish practice and teaching, rather than setting up a questionable distinction between the written word and the spoken word.
This particular flaw notwithstanding, Rabbi Jesus puts into motion ideas and realizations long overdue for this Christ-loving, Christ-denying civilization. Fulfilling the purpose of a biographical study, this book offers the sense, vision and gesture of an often-enshrouded spiritual figure who lived and died within the complex of religion and politics.


“So do not be afraid of them [the Pharisees], for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known” (Mat 10:26 NIV)
One misconception readers may have upon reading the title is that this book will be one of many pre-existing ones that will attack Christianity with the sole purpose of discrediting it; however M.S. Nasser does the exact opposite. He encourages or more potently, challenges, the reader to question their faith with the sole purpose of strengthening it. He brilliantly navigates the reader, giving them a well-referenced and thorough understanding of Christianity, its history and the impact it has had on people through the ages. It instructs the reader to restore the biblical texts to their former glory and to awaken their minds to the many interpolations that can be found in the holy texts.
What the writer does well, is to explain high volumes of information without ever coming across condescendingly and he starts from a place that will be attractive for any reader of any level of understanding of Christianity and steers them through, making carefully thought-out points regarding the real purpose of Jesus’ prophethood and how Paul cleverly uses a base understanding to almost create a whole new religion – something which as the writer explains, has been prophesied by Jesus himself. Furthermore, he highlights the hypocrisy found within his actions and the inconsistency of his words which the reader may find confusing as to how people still hold value in him.
This book, in my opinion, is created for people looking to gain a base understanding of Christianity and the impact Paul had on it, and for those Christians who are searching for the answers to some oft unanswered questions. The reader may at first be held back by the size of the book (it is almost 700 pages) but once you begin, it is very hard to put down and you often feel as if you are sat with the writer listening as you go on.


The service for the dedication of our church took place on Sunday, October 14, 2007. It was a grand occasion. Special guests, including clergy and community leaders, and visiting friends from other churches and other organizations joined us in a splendid and joyous celebration of praise and thanksgiving. The sanctuary, with a capacity of nearly three hundred, was full.
Among the special guests who attended the service and brought greetings were:
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, Council Member for Brooklyn’s 41st District Darlene Mealey,
Clergy Liaison in the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, Wanda G, Counsel General of Grenada, the
Hon. Allen McGuire, Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of New York (BCNY), Dr. Terry
Robertson, and the Executive Director of the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association (MNYBA),
Rev. Gary Frost. Several members of the clergy were also in attendance, and each one brought
Wanda G read a proclamation from the Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, proclaiming
Sunday, October 14, 2007 as United Community Baptist Church Day. The document was presented
to the pastor, Rev. Dr. Dennis Campbell and First Lady, Joan Campbell. Dr. Terry Robertson
presented a plaque to UCBC on behalf of the BCNY. Dr. Campbell received the plaque on behalf of
Some of the churches attending were: Wake-Eden Community Baptist Church, Bronx Baptist Church,
Lighthouse Baptist Church, Calvary International Baptist Church, Maranatha Baptist Church, and Good Hope Baptist Church. The gathering was blessed with renditions by United Community Baptist Church Combined Choir, Wake-Eden Community Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir, Calvary International Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir, and special items by soloists Colette Gorousingh, David Menezes, and Paul Bevney.
One of the highlights of the evening was the reading of the history of the church by Mrs. Evadney Setal, Treasurer and Leader of the WMU at UCBC. The audience was captivated as she read with passion and great articulation the path that the church traveled from its early beginnings to the present, highlighting several significant events in its development.
The Keynote speaker for the occasion was the Rev. Dr. Samuel Vassel, Senior pastor of Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene, who presented a timely and powerful message on “The Purpose of the Church.” The hearts the people in the congregation were stirred and challenged as they listened to the man of God.
Following the service a formal dinner was served. Both the upper and lower fellowship halls were used to accommodate the large crowd. In charge of the preparation and serving of the dinner, were Sister Jacynth Wright and members of her team. The food was plenty and delicious. They did a splendid job. To God be the glory, great things he has done!


|Welcome to Amazing Grace|
- We teach and preach Christ crucified.
- We believe that Jesus Christ is both true God and true Man.
- We believe that Jesus lived without sin, died in our place on the cross, and rose again.
- Because of Jesus we have the gift of eternal life in heaven.
"God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life." - John 6:47


"How Long Will America Last?"
by Allen B. Clark email@example.com
SOURCE: Noah Webster's First Edition (1828) of an American Dictionary of the English Language.
Republished in facsimile edition by Foundation for American Christian Education
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty" II Corinthians 3:17
"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Psalms 11:3
In 1976, America's Bicentennial Year, Dallas' Rabbi Levi Olan said, "Jul 4th is a celebration of freedom rooted in a religious sense of thanksgiving to God."
(Preface) The Seed of the Giant Sequoia
"Sequoia gigantes, or Big Tree, grows only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California at elevations varying from 5,000 to 8,500 feet above sea level. Individuals of this species are the largest living things on the face of the globe....
The Sequoia gigantes seems to go on living indefinitely and may stand as long as one hundred generations....
The age of living sequoias is difficult to determine but the actual ring count of cut trees has indicated that many are from 3,000 to 4,000 years old. Some of these trees in California were already majestic giants when the star of Bethlehem rose in the heavens. Here they remained while the Chain of Christianity moved westward with 'signs following'-the liberty of the individual, and of nations. Just yesterday in a sequoia's life, came the flowering of these Bethlehem principles in government-'We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness-That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men..."
Will our government last anywhere near as long as these sequoias?
I have a copy of this dictionary right beside my reading chair and frequently refer to it. It is an extraordinary work by a Founding Father of our United States of America as much as those we typically identify as such. It quotes definitions from great works of literature as well as from the Holy Bible. Current day Webster's dictionaries known to us all cannot compare to the depth, lustre, vision, and inspiration of our language that comprised the original 1828 version.
"Noah Webster spent a lifetime endeavoring to liberate America from European ties of 'folly, corruption, and tyranny.' He sought to build an educational system in the school, the church and the home embodying 'a love of virtue, patriotism, and religion.' In the Preface to his History of the United States he wrote: 'Republican government loses half its value, where the moral and social duties are imperfectly understood, or imperfectly practiced. To exterminate our popular vices is a work of far more importance to the character and happiness of our citizens than any other improvements in our system of education.'" (page 10).
Independence Day Collect Book of Common Prayer
"Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of our country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen"


Christmas Decoration Ideas for Home
Decor up your home with creative Christmas decorations. There are so many traditional and modern Christmas decoration ideas to decorate your home. We believe in celebrating festivals with immense zeal and fervor and so we decorate our homes with colors, flowers, and ornaments to bring a lot of fun at the festival. We start with cleaning the house and then decorating it to bring in all the Christmas feels at home. Thus here we are with tips to decorate your home for the Christmas Festival.
1. Lights Around House
Christmas is not complete without decorating our house with lights. There are so many types of lights available in stores and online to light up our house for Christmas. These bright twinkling gems around our house will carry all the Christmas vibes to our home. The string lights are used in Christmas in the majority. You can decorate the home with star string lights, LED Christmas lights, LED Birch tree lights to get magical outdoor Christmas look of your home. Many people also decorate their houses with Lanterns to give the house a traditional Christmas look.
2. Decorate Xmas Tree with lamps and candles
We have seen so many Christmas tree decorations but decorating the Christmas tree with candles and lamps is quite unique. Earlier people used to decorate the Christmas tree with lamps and candles but today hardly few people do it. So this year you go for this old-fashioned Christmas charm. To avoid any serious hazard choose candle lights instead of real candles. Send balloons with Merry Christmas wishes to your friends to convey Christmas wishes.
3. Front door Garland
Usually, we decorate the main doors and gates by hanging the door wreaths. Along with the door wreaths, you can also decorate the front doors with garlands. You can make garlands at home with the help of greenery, foliage, red berries, ribbons and Christmas flowers. These garlands would add a traditional charm to your Christmas decorations and also will look attractive and welcoming to the guests and visitors for Christmas.
4. Arrange some Fresh Flowers
Flowers like Amaryllis, Poinsettias, Ivy, Christmas rose, and Christmas cactus is called Christmas flowers and are also considered holy and sacred for this Christmas festival. So people decorate these Christmas flowers at their homes. You can make a flower arrangement and decorate it in your living room. These flowers bloom for most time of the winter season and they will also influence the house atmosphere and bring positive vibes to the home. These perennials come in a lot of colors that would make your house vibrant this holiday season. Send Flowers to your loved ones as Christmas presents so that they can arrange them at home.
5. Hang Stockings
There are so many folk stories of hanging stocks as Santa Claus offers gifts to the kids on Christmas Eve. Thus these stockings can also be arranged as decorations. There are so many kinds of Christmas stockings available in stores and online that is specially used for Christmas decorations. You can have one whole wall dedicated to hand different kinds of red Christmas stockings to increase the festive look of the home.
6. Use Bold Gift Wraps
People usually neglect gifts and don’t use them as house decor. Whereas gifts are one of the best home decors for Christmas. We would already have too many gifts in our home to offer our friends and relatives wrapped in nice Christmas wrappers and festive packaging. You can place these gifts under the Christmas tree or you can also pile up the gifts next to the Christmas tree and give the space merry Christmas look. Visitors would get attracted to this space of the room where the gifts are stacked up.
These Christmas decorations and displays get us more festive. Thus we hope these Christmas decoration ideas inspire you to decorate your home for Christmas.


Welcome from the President
Dear Friends of DePaul Cristo Rey,
Named after St. Vincent de Paul, our school is the 24th member of the national Cristo Rey Network of high schools and is guided by the patronage of Cristo Rey/Christ the King. Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to the mustard seed – the tiniest of all seeds which grows into a large tree sheltering birds of every color. What a wonderful image for us at DePaul Cristo Rey!
Mustard seed indeed! With more than 100 students from across Greater Cincinnati, more than 20 staff members who all perform multiple tasks, and more than 50 Corporate Partners, our tiny seed is already sprouting with life beyond our wildest imagination. The people who comprise DPCR are the birds of many colors – each unique, each gifted, each with a heritage and story, each part of forming the community that is our school. We can already imagine how the tree will branch each year, becoming a home to more and more students, faculty, families and community partners as we grow.
We know we are part of the Reign of God as we learn about our students, hear the stories of their work experiences – greeting customers, transporting patients, handling paperwork – watch them in our classrooms, Tablet PCs at hand, asking questions, tackling tough math problems, helping one another. But how we really know we are part of the Reign of God is our coming to know the hopes and dreams their families and teachers have for them and that all of our students hold in their own hearts. Thanks for building the Reign of God with us at DePaul Cristo Rey!
Sr. Jeanne Bessette, OSF, Ed.D.


Kenresa Stratford, events co-ordinator at Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said: “St Mary’s Church in Devizes is a stunning venue and we hope that everyone who participates in our abseil will enjoy this beautiful church.
“St Mary’s Church is in the heart of Devizes and by taking part you will experience a unique view of the town and the surrounding countryside.
“We’re delighted to be holding our abseil in Devizes in our 30th birthday year. Our operational base was in Devizes until we moved to our purpose-built airbase in Semington, near Melksham, in May 2018.
“We hope people will ‘take a leap’ by taking part in our abseil and the funds they raise will help us to continue saving lives. An abseil we held last year raised over £9,000.”
Entry for the abseil is £25 and participants are asked to raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship.Back to News


There is a new generation of Christian intentional communities springing into life in our day. The Nurturing Communities Project is a response to this work of the Holy Spirit, bringing together more experienced and newer communities for learning and inspiration. David Janzen from Reba Place Fellowship, a four-decade veteran of Christian community, has been traveling, often with younger partners, to visit these communities and to share the wisdom from this growing network of mutual support. One fruit of this inter-generational project has been the publication in September, 2012, of The Intentional Christian Community Handbook: For Idealists, Hypocrites, and Wannabe Disciples of Jesus.
For more information on the services of the Nurturing Communities Project see the following:
- See reviews of The Intentional Christian Community Handbook and interviews with the author.
- Read about community visits in Portland, St. Paul, Detroit, Waco, Austin, Cape Cod, Boston, Philadelphia, and other places.
- Visitations: How to set up peer-led community reviews
- Workshops and panel discussions available on a variety of topics
- Contacts: Mentors, consultations, and networking with other communities


January 10 - Resources
Feel free to adapt these resources to fit your family. We realize that your children range from Birth to 5th Grade and not all content or activities will be appropriate. Each week, the kid’s activity sheets are added for your viewing and printing, however if you would like to receive physical copies of the activity sheets, please call or email me and I will arrange to get you printed copies.
Before today’s lesson: Lay out a large an assortment of candies, cereal pieces, crackers, marbles or other items on a table or on the floor. Instruct the kids to get some candy when you say, “Go”.
Say: “Did anyone grab all of them or too many or did you leave some for others so that it would fair and even? Why or why not? Do you know what taking more than you need is called? (Greed) In today’s Bible lesson, two people in the early church wanted to look generous even though they were very greedy. Let’s find out what happened.”
unit 29 session 1
Ananias and Sapphira
Story Point: Ananias and Sapphira lied about their gift to the church.
Key Passage: Romans 12:5
Post videos or photos of your family “Home Churching” on our Facebook Page @ofbckids.
We miss interacting with you. We miss the smiles, hugs and high 5’s. We miss the laughter of the kids.
We are in constant prayer for all of you. We know we can get through this and we can’t wait to hear the stories of how God used this time of quarantine to strengthen your family bond and build your relationships with him. Connect with us. Post, email. Just say hi. Let us know how you’re doing.


Receiving the invitation to assist the celebration of the Virgin Mary Day, last 7th of December 2011, the Charge d´affairs of the Indonesian Embasy of Indonesia en Buenos Aires, Mrs. Joevi Roedyati and her team have visited a church from the Arnaldo Janssen congregation that was located in Rafael Calzada in the province of Buenos Aires around 75km from the Capital city of Buenos Aires.
This church also manage a school for handicapped children where there are 75 students, from 6 to 9 years of age. The subjects given are especially done for them.
With this opportunity the Representative of the Embassy took advantage to complete their happiness by giving Christmas and New Year presents that was seen by their fathers, families, invitees, sisters and teachers of the school.
This celebration which also was the closing of the academic year of the school and to welcome to summer, was celebrated by different entertaintment like happy songs that were prepared especially by teachers, sisters, school´s staffs, parents and friends that with their full dedications and love have somehow managed to make these children so chherful clapping so happily while watching the shows.
In her speech, the headmaster said to the children and the audience to always try to be cheerful, happy and thankful for everything that we have and to try to wipe away the fear and sorrow that we may have because we must always remember that God is always with us and for God, there is nothing that is impossible as long as we want it.
After giving the prersents, the Embassy´s team was also invited to taste the sancks and softdrinks that were prepared by the school for the children and invitees.


He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
Luke 1 (li)
This is the work of the Divine Potter: He takes a great king by the shoulders such as Saul who neither fears Him nor keeps His Word and He chooses a poor shepherd in preference and elevates him to a king (...). This is how God works: when He decides to overthrow people who are full of hubris, He first makes them into fools and then blinds them. Afterwards, when they are blind they are soon so disgraced that they are ashamed of all their cleverness. Thus He leads them into ruin by their own wisdom so they commit their misdeeds in a most accurate and perfect manner as Pharaoh did in Egypt when chasing the Jews across the Red Sea. After coming to their most considered decision, they say: "We are going to tackle this problem in such and such a way." Then the Lord God replies mockingly: "Fine, you are on the right track, just carry on as you are doing!" Blinded by their arrogance, He lets them continue forwards. But suddenly they find themselves lying in a heap on top of one another.
The complete Luther - "A Meditation for Each Day of the Year" is available as a biligual (English and German) BREVIARY published by Wartburg Verlag Weimar. It can be purchased in English, world-wide from most internet book shops.


What is prayer? For me, it’s a way of talking to God, a way of speaking my desires into Consciousness, a way of communing with Spirit, a way of experiencing Oneness. That definition, of course, only leads to more questions. More than anything, it raises the question, “what is God, Consciousness, Spirit, Oneness?”
Talking to God
When I say that prayer is a way of talking to God, it implies that God is outside of me. That I am having a dialog with someone or something other than myself. For most of us, at some point, we see prayer as a conversation between ourselves and God. It’s like talking to a trusted friend or a loving parent. Prayers of petition, praise, and thanksgiving are especially that way. Sometimes, it just feels reassuring and peaceful to talk to God, to know that there is something there.
Speaking Desires Into Consciousness
What do I mean by Consciousness? Consciousness is the container of life. I use it interchangeably with the word God. However, when I think of consciousness, I conjure something more impersonal. It connotes the same meaning to me as the word Universe. When I think of God as Consciousness, I don’t see myself outside of it. I see myself, everyone, and everything as a part of it.
Prayer as speaking desires into consciousness is like putting in an order into the container that holds everything. This is the realm of the Law of Attraction and the Power of Intention.
Communing With Spirit
Another name for God that I use is Spirit. Spirit is the essence of everything including you and me. It’s the theological equivalent of energy. It cannot be created or destroyed, but is brought into form in us. We are here to experience and express Spirit.
Prayer as communion with Spirit is remembering yourself. It blurs into meditation, but can just as equally be your every move throughout the day. It is the dance of life. It is an every moment prayer.
When you live your life in pure Spirit expression and you recognize Divinity everywhere, you are praying as an experience of Oneness. I’ve only had glimpses of this myself, usually in a meditative state. However, Jesus and Buddha talked about this experience at length.
It is life as prayer, with no prayer at all. There is no prayer here because you know, in every sense of the word, that you are God in expression.
All prayer is a form of communication with the Divine, whether we see that as a person in Heaven, the Consciousness container, Spirit in everything around us, or the Divinity within us and as us. Prayer is our way of connecting with Spirit and calling into expression that which we desire.
What is prayer to you? I look forward to reading your thoughts and experiences in the comments.


He was succeeded by Rothwell’s first woman minister, Rev. Valerie Fay. She served Rothwell with great devotion from 1997 until her retirement in late 2001. Rev. Val was named minister emeritus and she and Phil remained members of the congregation as she continued her long battle with cancer that was to take her from us in late 2002. Rev. Ann Durant joined us from an Ottawa congregation in February 2002 and led the congregation with energy and devotion for almost five years until her retirement in late 2006. Rev. Roy Babstock served the congregation for a number of months in 2006 during Rev. Ann’s absence on restorative leave and as interim minister from November 2006 until June 17, 2007 following Rev. Ann’s retirement.
In September 2007, we welcomed our current minister, Rev. Michael Perreault, our first minister to have roots in Beacon Hill and Orleans. He has blessed us with new and exciting ways to explore our faith with our loving God remaining our constant companion, our destination, and the reason for our journey. What hasn't changed (thankfully!) is Rothwell’s ongoing commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We continue to share God’s compassion through the many vital ministries of our Church. Our M&S givings continue to be strong, and our commitment of local ministries has grown this year. We look forward to seeing where God will call us next, and who we’ll meet along the way.Type your paragraph here.Type your paragraph here.
Click on photos to enlarge.
Dr. James “Jamie” R. Millar, a retired Protestant padre with outstanding service at home and overseas, replaced Rev. Cook and served with us during the days of extreme growth. Dr. Millar retired in October 1976 to be succeeded by Rev. Peter Praamsma who served us for the next eleven years through a period that saw the growth of our community slow as our young families grew up and their children began to leave home. Many of Rothwell “pioneers” began their retirement and some passed away. Rev. Peter moved to Morrisburg in June 1987 to take up a new charge and we were fortunate to have Rev. Joanne Barr serve as interim minister for a year until a new minister was selected. Rev. John Frogley, arrived on August 1, 1988, after serving in charges in Newfoundland and Labrador. John was a dynamic presence in our midst until his departure in 1997. Rev Cook returned to act as our interim minister in 1997.
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1955: Mrs George Rothwell recognizes need for church school
Feb 19, 1956: First Sunday School held at Fairfield School
March 1957: Church choir was formed
Feb 8, 1958: Rothwell officially founded at special ceremony
1957: Mr Ben Rothwell sets aside land for church purposes
Sept 9, 1962: Rothwell United Church dedication
Rev. Rinaldo.W Armstrong: (October 1958 - June 1960)
Rev. Cyril Stuart Cook, M. A. (1960-1966 and 1997)
Dr. Jamie Millar (1966-1976)
Rev. Peter Praamsma M.A., M.Div, D.Min. (1976-1987)
Rev. Joanne Barr (1987-1988)
Rev. John Frogley B.A.,M.Ed,M.Div: (1988-1997)
Rev. Valerie Fay B.A., M.Div. (1997-2001)
Rev. Ann Durant B.A., M.Div (2002-2006)
Rev. Roy Babstock, B.A., M.Div., ICRS (2006 and 2007)
Rev. Michael Perreault B.A., M.Div., (September 2007 -
Following World War II, there was a growth of new residential neighbourhoods in and around the City of Ottawa. On the north-eastern boundary of Ottawa, Rothwell Heights and Cardinal Heights came into being in Gloucester Township to respond to the general need for more housing, but particularly those created by the Rockcliffe RCAF base and the National Research Council laboratories.
In 1955, Mrs. George Rothwell, a member of a pioneer family in the area, recognized the need for a church school to accommodate the children of Protestant denominations, other than Anglican, in this growing area. As a result of her efforts, this need was brought to the attention of the RCAF Padres at the nearby Rockcliffe military base who, in turn, referred it to the Ottawa Presbytery of the United Church of Canada.
A small group of interested persons met in the fall of 1955 to discuss the matter with Presbytery representatives. Following this meeting, a survey indicated that 90 children, from 1 to 15 years of age, were living in the area and that all parents were very receptive to the proposal. The first Sunday School was held in the Fairfield School Gymnasium on February 19, 1956. Attention was then directed to establishing a new United Church congregation to serve the area. The services of Padres from the Rockcliffe base were made available and regular church services began in the Fairfield School gymnasium. A church choir was formed in March 1957. These services continued until February 8, 1958 when Rothwell United Church was officially founded at a special ceremony. Rev. Basil Adams, RCAF Padre, was named Interim Minister. The congregation quickly thereafter built a manse on Delong Drive in Rothwell Heights. On October 19, 1958, the Rev. R.W. Armstrong was named the first Ordered Minister of our Church and the first occupant of the new manse.
First plans to build a church sanctuary were formulated as early as 1957 when Mr. Ben Rothwell set aside a parcel of land for church purposes. This generous gift inspired the congregation and adjoining properties were purchased thereafter to provide the site on which the church building and parking lot now stand. The current Church sanctuary was formally dedicated on Sunday September 9, 1962.
The growth experienced since 1955 intensified through the 1960s and into the 1970s. Where 59 children attended the first Sunday school in 1956, by the early 1970s the average attendance had grown to over 400 and membership in the congregation almost 1400. The participation in church services had also grown to the extent that chairs were set up in the aisles to accommodate attendance at regular services. To cope with these pressures, a 3,200 square foot, two-storey addition to the south end of the church building was completed in 1982. It provided space upstairs for Church offices, a Choir Room and Resource Centre and meeting space downstairs for the Sunday Club and a range of groups from inside and outside the Church. More than fifty volunteers from the Congregation laboured to finish the inside of the new addition and the new addition was ready to be dedicated on May 9, 1982.
Rothwell has been blessed by the energy and dedication of its ministers over the years. The Rev. R.W. Armstrong, our first Minister, served with us from November 1958 until June 30, 1960 when he took up lighter duties at Cumberland United. Rev. Cyril Stewart Cook succeeded him and remained with Rothwell through the hectic days of construction and consolidation before moving to Quebec City in 1966. He returned thirty years later as an interim minister.


While the majority of Spanish parishes have centralized their records into Diocesan archives, some priests have chosen to keep their church registers within the parish. This was the case in Cañamero.
We had called a few days ahead of time and asked if it would be possible to research from the books. The nun was very polite, and told us what days and times she could let us come. Because this is not an archive, we could only come when the priest and/or the nuns were not otherwise occupied, and it was an incredible blessing that she had an entire afternoon open the weekend we would be near the parish.
We arrived exactly when we had arranged to come, and after chatting about what we wished to do, we cleared a place at the kitchen table and sat down with the books. We did not feel it was appropriate to ask to take pictures, but we took extensive notes and were allowed to work for several hours.
Our time in the parish was a lovely break from typical archival research. People came and went as we researched, the nuns were singing and chatting together in the next room, and there was a pile displaced dishes and silverware just off to my right. We were able to find many people in the early parish baptism books that we never would have been able to locate another way. When it was close to dinnertime, we packed our belongings, thanked everyone for being so accommodating, and left with the promise we would call when we were next in Spain to set up a return appointment. It truly was a unique and rewarding experience.


How do Marriage Annulments Work?
The word “Annulment” refers to Catholic declaration of something as having no legal existence. It is also called ‘declaration of nullity.’ There is no definite process to declare a marriage as null. The decision of declaring a marriage as null requires a church tribunal, also known as Catholic Church Court, to declare that a marriage previously acknowledged as lawful is no longer valid as it falls short of one or two of the elements that are essential for any binding union according to church law. The elements that are required for a catholic marriage to be lawful include:
- The will of spouses to get married.
- They are adult enough to give their consent for the marriage.
- They exchange their consent independently.
- They should have the intention to hold on to the marriage for a lifetime, to remain faithful to each other and be open to children.
- The couple should have good will for each other.
- The consent of the couple is given in front of at least two witnesses and a church minister.
Any exceptions to the last requirement must be permitted by authority of the Church.
Why it is lawfully required for a divorced Catholic to attain a declaration of nullity before getting married in Church?
According to the teachings of Jesus, it is believed by the church that the bond of marriage is meant for a lifetime. The only condition that should be met to get out of this bond is the death of either of the two partners. Therefore, the declaration of nullity is made essential by the church before getting married. A marriage annulment ensures that an essential element of the binding union was absent when the wedding took place. If this condition is met, the church holds the authority to declare that a lawful marriage never took place at the day of the wedding.
How does a marriage annulment process works?
There are several steps that should be followed. A written testimony should be submitted by the person who wants the marriage to nullify (also known as the petitioner). The testimony should include details of the marriage and the list of people aware of the marriage. The witnesses of the marriage should willingly answer questions about the marriage and spouses. If the petition is not signed by the other spouse, also known as the respondent, the church tribunal should contact him or her. In case the respondent does not want to be involved, the petition still moves forward.
The process that is to be followed will be determined by the information that is submitted by the petitioner. The petitioner, as well as the respondent, holds the right to read the submitted testimony excluding what is concealed by the civil law. Both parties hold the right to select a representative to represent them before the Church tribunal. One representative of the Church fights to demonstrate the validity of the marriage (also known as defender of the bonds).
If the final verdict favors the nullity of marriage, both parties are allowed to marry to another in Catholic Church. The right to file an appeal is also there in case one of the two parties is not happy with the verdict. You may want to get in touch with a family law attorney to understand how marriage annulments work.


Why in the world would you be interested in learning about some obscure figure from many centuries ago named Melchizedek? Give us a message that relates to mothers! My aim is to convince you that you do need to know about this man.
Lesson Why You Need to Know About Melchizedek (Hebrews ) | wannareadyou.com
To understand this, we need to put the chapter in its context. The Jewish Christians to whom this letter was addressed were tempted to abandon their Christian faith and return to Judaism under the threat of persecution.Adult Singles Dating In Petersburg, Illinois (IL).
Some of them had lost their property and had suffered public reproach on account of their faith The Jewish religion was a good system. It spelled out how we should live. The rituals were familiar and satisfying. It was the faith of our forefathers for many centuries. Maybe we should just go back to the way things healung.
To understand the pull of the past, we need to realize that religious traditions die hard! Center for World Mission.
It will mention a people group where, many centuries ago, Islam took root and the culture is grwce Islamic. For hundreds of years, generations have lived and died without questioning the religious traditions.
These Women want nsa Hooker Oklahoma religious views dominate their whole way of life. When missionaries try to penetrate these cultures with the gospel, they meet with strong resistance, because to accept the gospel would mean abandoning centuries of religious tradition.
The author of Hebrews was trying to convince people that a religious system of sacrifices, rituals, and rules that had been in place for over 1, years You need know this grace is healing now been replaced by a better way. He focuses on the supremacy of Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of all that was written heqling Moses and the Jewish prophets. He introduces a theme that is only treated in the Book of Hebrews, that Jesus Christ is our high priest.
You need know this grace is healing
You need know this grace is healing We will only appreciate our need for a high priest to the degree that we realize how holy and unapproachable God is and how sinful and defiled we are. Horney married women 61064 devastated him tjis immediately he became aware of how utterly sinful he was, in contrast to God in His awesome holiness. Israel in the wilderness had seen Moses go up on the mountain into the cloud, with lightning and thunder and a loud trumpet sound, and they were terrified.
If the people got too close to the mountain, God warned that He would break forth upon them with You need know this grace is healing deadly plague Exod. The Jews knew that they could not saunter into the Holy of Knoe to chat with God! Only the high priest could enter there, and only once a graxe, with blood. The Jewish people knew how desperately they needed a high priest if they were to approach God. The author of Hebrews is making the point that Jesus is our high priest.
Yoi He is not just the fulfillment of the Levitical priesthood.
He Adult looking nsa Madison West Virginia something You need know this grace is healing, a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
To view Him on a par with the Levitical priests would be to make a spiritually fatal mistake. That entire old system was designed to point ahead to Jesus Christ, who superceded and fulfilled it. You need know this grace is healing would be to turn from the only One who can save us from our sins and go back to an inferior system. So the author here is saying. You need to know about Melchizedek because he is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you desperately need to know about Christ.
The author is picking up where he left off in 5: He wanted to discuss the significance of Melchizedek, but he could not do so because these people had become dull of hearing. He wants them to understand Melchizedek so that they can gain a deeper understanding of Jesus Christ.
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But Christ does not reveal Himself to those who are spiritually lazy or apathetic. Have you ever considered why Jesus did not do the Transfiguration in front of the multitudes? He only took with Him Peter, James, and John to witness this astounding scene! But to the multitudes, Jesus concealed His glory and spoke in parables, because Smoking fetish male desires female smoker were spiritually dull see Matt.
He only reveals His glory to those with whom He is intimate, and He is only intimate with those whose hearts are humbled before Him. And so as we approach these truths about Melchizedek as a You need know this grace is healing of Christ, we must make sure that our hearts are right before God. Also, You need know this grace is healing must give some effort and attention to the matter of seeking to know Him.
The Greek word means to gaze at or discern through careful observation.
Youu are to observe Melchizedek because he is a type of Jesus Christ, and You need know this grace is healing desire to see the beauty and glory of Jesus, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. To see Him as He is, is a transforming experience 1 John Naughty girl in New mexico The solution to every problem that you face is to know Jesus Christ more accurately and vrace.
The flow of thought runs like this: The Son of God is not made like him, but he is made like the Son of God, presented in Scripture in such a way that he points to the truth about the Son of God.
Second, Levi, who received tithes, actually paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham, his forefather, when he paid tithes to Melchizedek 7: We can sum up these points under four headings that show how Melchizedek was a type of Jesus Christ:.
Everything we know about Melchizedek comes from Genesis The first text is historical, the second is prophetic, and the third is theological. Melchizedek was the king of Salem You need know this grace is healing Jerusalem [Ps.
Abraham had gone after four You need know this grace is healing that had taken his nephew Lot and his family captive when they raided Sodom, where Lot was living. Abraham defeated these kings, recovered all of the goods, and brought back Lot and his family. As Abraham returned from this battle, Melchizedek came out to meet him. He blessed Abraham and Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of his spoils.
Out of what that short Beautyful Chandler woman avalable says and does not say, the author of Hebrews draws some amazing parallels between Melchizedek and Christ. It is interesting that he omits what seems to be an obvious parallel, that Melchizedek met Abraham with Woman want casual sex Bloomery West Virginia and wine!
But for some reason, the author of Hebrews passes over the easy parallel and focuses on some things that most of us would have missed.
The first thing to note is that Melchizedek was both a king and a priest in the same person 7: You may be a king or you may be a priest, but you could not be both at once. This shows that God can raise up knkw godly witness for Himself when and where He pleases.
Like Melchizedek, Jesus is both king and priest in one person. The author makes the point 7: The order is significant: A king cannot have true peace in his kingdom unless both he and his kingdom are righteous. Sin brings discord and strife.
Righteousness is the foundation for peace. He not only imputes and imparts righteousness to others; He is righteous in His very being. He never sinned, nor could any guilt be found in Him.
He is the Lamb of God, unblemished and spotless 1 Pet. And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.Woman Seeking Hot Sex Bandy Virginia
You need know this grace is healing is also the king of peace Eph. He brings peace between sinners and God, and peace among all that live under His lordship. God did not lay aside His righteousness to make peace with sinners. If you know Jesus Christ as your King of righteousness and peace, you will be growing in righteous behavior and you will be pursuing peace with others Rom. I am not talking about perfectionbut rather, direction. You will be growing in conformity to your King. Being a priest in Israel was totally dependent on Cute women in Round Rock Texas family lineage.
God at work before we know it: Prevenient grace – The United Methodist Church
All priests came from the tribe of Levi. No one else need apply.
If you could not establish your family heritage, you were excluded from the priesthood Neh. But the vast majority of commentators reject that interpretation and agree that Melchizedek was simply a great man who lived at the same time as Abraham.
The author of Hebrews is building an argument from the strange silence of Genesis. That book emphasizes genealogies and the number of years that the patriarchs lived.
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In the midst of this emphasis, seemingly out of nowhere, comes this man Si. His family lineage is never mentioned, nor does Genesis say anything about the length of his life or his death.Older Women That Want To Fuck In Hampshire Tennessee
The author is saying that the Holy Spirit deliberately omitted these facts from a book that emphasizes such, in order to heaaling Melchizedek an appropriate type of Jesus Christ. To be our high priest forever, Jesus had Boating babes needed be of a different priestly order, namely, that of Melchizedek. As the Son of God that title is used deliberately in 7: Also, the Levitical priests died and had to be replaced, but Jesus lives on in His yrace You need know this grace is healing 7: So both in the derivation and in the duration of his priesthood, Melchizedek is a type of Jesus You need know this grace is healing.
Melchizedek was greater than both Abraham and Levi, since he received tithes neev both of these great men. Abraham spontaneously recognized that this man represented God Most High, and so he gave him a tenth of his choicest spoils as an act of worship and gratitude toward God for granting him victory over the four kings.
In Hebrew thought, an ancestor contained in him all of his descendants.
Part of our 3-story series, “The Wesleyan Concept of Grace.” When we consider the circumstances that led to us coming to faith in Jesus Christ, we begin to see the hand of God at work in our lives long before we were aware of the Spirit’s presence. The Rev. Matt O’Reilly shares, “You never. When the answer is important to you, rely on this dowsing pendulum: THE DIAMOND PENDULUM. Over the years, the Diamond Pendulum has saved me countless amounts of money, not to mention time and energy - and I no longer have the pain of agonizing over my choices and decisions, because experience has shown me that it always gives me answers I can trust. You may want to print out the Scriptures below and go over them a couple of times a day if you are in need of wannareadyou.com the Holy Spirit to build your faith as you read these Words of Life. You may want to highlight, copy and paste the scriptures into your word processor before printing so you can get the page breaks correct, that way the scriptures will not be broken up from page to page.


It's a scary thing to invite the government into your life and home, especially if your husband is an avid listener to Glenn Beck and Michael Savage.
The question of "If I refuse to do what they say, will they call CPS?" looms heavy on your mind, even as you look excitedly at the possibilities that may open for your special needs child.
God was such a real and present help to me yesterday, giving me peace about our decision. Let me tell you about it.
We had a special called service last night, and preservice prayer was wonderful. The presence of God was so close. I began to pray and soon I was asking the Lord to not just let my outside look like a Christian, but I want to be full of the Holy Ghost on the inside, so that it radiates out and affects everyone and everything around me. Then I felt led to pray about our appointment with the DDD Service Coordinator on Wednesday, that when she walked into our home, she would feel the power of God in our home and radiating from our beings. That there would be no question, no hesitation, no pushing, no arguement about Tyler's treatment plans, because the Lord would orchestrates every second of the meeting.
I felt the Holy Ghost so strongly as I was praying this (I feel it here now as I type with tears in my eyes), speaking in tongues with the force of the Holy Ghost, calling things as though they were.
I also prayed for Tyler's psychologist, a wonderful lady who has never questioned our "no-meds" stance and has been a God-send for Tyler. She's very worldly, but I began to pray for her, that God would use us to be a witness to her.
Then I remembered something that Sis Loe told me at the very beginning of this journey. She said that she always prays for and about the people that they come in contact with as they seek treatment for Russell, that maybe God would use us to be witnesses for him to these hurt parents and service providers.
In my fog, I had forgotten that. I'm not sure if I've been much of a witness at all as I struggle to accept and create our new normal. How can I witness about the Lord when...But I want to do better, to see each interaction as an opportunity to witness. I remind myself often that the greatest miracle is not always the healing, it's the journey and what God does during the journey. Isn't a soul being born into the kingdom the greatest miracle?
When we are Christian, especially when we are Christian, we struggle with our faith when God doesn't do the miracle exactly as we've asked, the first time we ask. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that there may be a bigger reason, a bigger picture than what my human eye can see.
I was also reminded of the miracles that God has done with regards to our "no-meds" stance. The first appointment that we had with Tyler's Developmental Pediatrician he was diagnosed with Asperger's, Tourette's, and Co-Morbid ADHD (meaning that the ADHD was the result of the first two diagnoses). The doctor respected our "no-meds" stance and agreed to withhold meds for the present.
The second appointment, three months later, the doctor ran a computerized test on Tyler. She told us that the results showed that Tyler did NOT, in fact, have ADHD, therefore she saw no reason to ever put on meds!!!
When I shared this with Pastor, he said "She just told us what we already knew!" I was just so thankful that it had become a non-issue, that I would never have to argue with her about it.
So, I was reminded that God is in control. I will trust him to continue to guide us. I'm excited about the possibility of being a light to this dark world.
Please continue to keep us in prayers. Thanks so much!