Thu, 24 May 2012 05:08:09 -0600WeeblyMon, 21 May 2012 11:15:45 -0600http://www.trinityepiscopalstj.org/1/post/2012/05/praying-together.htmlAs I was reading in preparation for a sermon the other day I was struck by a thought that I couldn't get off my mind. The passage I was reading was about the disciples and what they were doing right after Jesus had ascended into heaven. The passage was in the first chapter of Acts. When the disciples went back to Jerusalem after the Ascension they were all together. Mary, the mother of Jesus was there as were his brothers. Luke tells us that all together there were about 120 gathered together. They spent their time in prayer and supplication. You know the saying there is power in numbers? It is especially true in prayer. Prayer takes on an added dimension and power when we pray together. As I though about this I wondered why we couldn't do this here in St James. The more I thought the more I was convinced and convicted that we could and we should. So, here at Trinity Episcopal we are forming a new prayer group. We will meet on Wednesday mornings at 9 am in the fellowship hall and we will pray. We will pray for our community, our churches, our schools, and our young people, We will help lift up any and all concerns that anyone has and will take prayer requests. I truly believe that where two of three are gathered Christ is there. I am expecting big things from this group and as a result I expect that our community will be blessed by our presence. Anyone who would like to like to join us is welcome. You don't have to be Episcopalian. Any and all are welcome. I think we can do great things with God's help. ]]>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:37:34 -0600http://www.trinityepiscopalstj.org/1/post/2011/07/the-daily-office.htmlIt is usually my custom to read the Daily Office every day. I always try to do Morning Prayer, and sometimes Evening Prayer as well. The Daily Office is the prayer of the church. The Daily Office came into being from the prayers of the monastics who set aside certain hours during the day for prayer. It is even known as Praying the Hours. In the Book of Common Prayer there are services for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, as well as Noonday Prayer and Compline. Compline is the last prayer of the day before sleep.There are also shorter forms of the Office in the Prayer Book. There is a Daily Office Lectionary that goes along with the liturgical calendar that gives the OT, NT, and Gospel readings as well as Psalms for the Morning and Evening. The Daily Office was a part of my life even before ordination but is especially important to me now. It used to bother me that the Prayer Book Offices were in the plural form. It seemed odd that as I prayed them I was praying with the words "we" and "us" instead of "me" and "I" even though I was by myself. But if finally dawned on me that although I was alone I can never pray alone. No matter what time I am praying the Office there is someone somewhere praying it with me. Perhaps in another town, perhaps in another state or even another country there is someone doing the exact same thing at the same time. You can never pray alone. It is always a corporate practice.  ]]>