Monday, September 28, 2015

Blessing of the Animals, Saturday, Oct 3

St. Francis Day Celebration
Blessing of the Animals
Saturday, October 3, 2015
10:30 am
 
Parking lot of the
Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity
160 Merovan Drive
North Augusta, SC 29860
0.5 miles north of I-20 exit 5 next to the new Walmart
Call 803-341-0075 for further information and directions
 
All creatures great and small are invited. A certificate commemorating the blessing of each animal will be given.  There will also be cookies for the kids, dog biscuits for the dogs and cat treats for the kitties.  Just remember that dogs need to remain on their leashes, cats in their cages and fish in their bowls. Come join us for this fun and blessed occasion.  Be sure to invite that dog next door that you are convinced could really use a blessing.

 

Friday, September 25, 2015

Telling Your Story

God tells us that we have a story He wants us to tell …
“You are the ones chosen by God, God’s instruments to do His work and to speak out
for Him to tell others of the night and day difference He made in you”  (1 Peter 2:9).

“Everyday tell how He saves us.  Tell the nations of His glory. 
Tell all peoples of the miracles He does.”  (Psalm 96)

The Bible is full of examples of people sharing their story…
King David
“Come and listen and I’ll tell you what God’s done for me.”
The Woman at the Well
“Many of the Samaritans of the town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony.”
The Man Who Was Born Blind
 “I don’t know whether He’s good or bad but I know this:I was blind but now I see.”
St. John the Evangelist (John 3:11)
“Listen carefully, I am speaking sober truth to you
and I speak only what I know by experience.

The great thing about telling your story is that it is Your Story!   No one can challenge your experience of God.  You don’t have to have it all figured out.  You don’t have to have all the theology down pat.  You don't have to be a Bible scholar.  Your story is simply… your story!  “All I know is Jesus Christ changed my life.”  That is a testimony.  You can, of course, go on from there to tell exactly what that difference is- how you were blessed by God- how God brought new direction, hope and purpose to your life, etc. 

A personal testimony is a powerful form of communication.  Madison Avenue uses personal testimonies with huge effectiveness.  You can too.  What is your story?  Spend some time crafting your testimony and share it.  You never know when someone’s salvation may depend on it.
Father Rob

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

The Book of Common Prayer- Prayer of General Thanksgiving

Our heritage as Anglicans includes The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), a collection of prayers and prescriptions for worship to be used both individually and collectively.  The BCP was primarily composed by Thomas Cranmer who was the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the English Church during much of the Protestant Reformation in the British Isles.  He sought to make available to common folk the great prayers and liturgies of the Church. 

Here at Holy Trinity we are most familiar with the Eucharistic liturgies, but the BCP also includes prayers and liturgies for baptisms, weddings, funerals, ordinations and much more.  It includes “Daily Offices” which are adapted from the Benedictine monastic tradition of praying the hours of the day.  The Daily Offices in our BCP include Morning, Noon and Evening Prayer, and Compline for the close of the day.

The Offices for morning and evening include a prayer that has become a favorite of mine, The General Thanksgiving.  This is a prayer composed by the Rt. Rev. Edward Reynolds, the Bishop of Norwich, and was first included in the BCP in its 1662 revision at the encouragement of the Puritans who complained that there simply were not enough prayers of praise and thanksgiving.  Here is Bishop Reynold's prayer:

The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made.  We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.  And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.