International Anglican Women’s Network

On Feb 22-27, the International Anglican Women’s Network meeting will be held at General Theological Seminary.  “We will focus on progress or lack thereof toward equality and empowerment for women in our regions,” said Mrs. Priscilla Julie of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean, who chairs the IAWN Steering Group.

Who are those who fear the Lord?
      He will show them the path they should choose.  Psalm 25:12 NLT

O Lord, may they exalt Your holy name and find the path of You would have them choose.  Amen.

CACAMRM

Members of the six Anglican Communion provinces in the Americas will gather February 22-27 in San José, Costa Rica, for the Conference of the Anglican Churches in the Americas in Mutual Responsibility and Mission.

Deeply respect God, your God. Serve and worship him exclusively. Back up your promises with his name only. Don’t fool around with other gods, the gods of your neighbors, because God, your God, who is alive among you is a jealous God.   Deuteronomy 6:13-15a The Message

Lord, we lift up Your children.  Amen.

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
      Father, please help us throughout this diocese return to “first things” this Lent: Jesus and his cross and resurrection, the Holy Spirit and his power to change our lives, and your love and care for us and all your children by adoption and grace. Thank you.

Monday: 25; Deuteronomy 6:10-15; Hebrews 1:1-14; John 1:1-18
Tuesday: 26, 28; Deuteronomy 6:16-25; Hebrews 2:1-10; John 1:19-28

      Notes from the Front Line

Please pray for April, an inmate in a NYS correctional facility and an intercessor for the Diocese of Albany who is going through a rough time right now.

Albany Intercessor

Trevin Wax: A Prayer for Transfiguration Sunday

Today’s lectionary includes the account of Jesus’ Transfiguration.

Trevin Wax, a baptist pastor who has a wonderful appreciation of Liturgy (I discovered his blog, Kingdom People, during Advent and it’s become a favorite), has a wonderful prayer / poem about the Transfiguration.

Here’s the beginning half of the prayer:

O God,
We open our eyes and we see Jesus,
the months of ministry transfigured to a beam of light,
the light of the world,
your light.
May your light shine upon us.

We open our eyes and we see Moses and Elijah,
your word restoring us, showing us the way,
telling a story,
your story, his story, our story.
May your word speak to us.

We open our eyes and we see mist,
the cloud of your presence
which assures us of all we do not know
and that we do not need to fear that.
Teach us to trust.

Go read it all

While you’re thinking about the Transfiguration and the light of Christ’s glory, go read Fr. Tim Fountain’s reflections/sermon on today’s lessons. It’s a great preparation for Lent. Here’s Fr. Tim’s “teaser” — a brief summary of his sermon to tie it all together. I’d never made the connection between today’s remembrance of the Transfiguration as very vital preparation for Lent:

Collect of the Day: “Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross…”

Mark 9:2-9, “The Transfiguration.” Jesus shows his glory to three apostles, just before they follow him to Jerusalem where he will suffer and die. This Gospel lesson comes up at the end of Epiphany, in order to strengthen us to do battle with the shadows during Lent.

(Beginning this Wednesday, we enter a season where we are asked to identify the shadows of the world, the flesh and the devil in our lives, and to seek the light of Christ to disperse them.)

Thanks Pastor Trevin & Father Tim for these excellent resources to appreciate and reflect on today’s lectionary!

Anglican Relief & Development, Lenten Appeal

The latest press release from Anglican Relief & Development encourages us to consider sacrificial giving to those in need in the Global South as part of our Lenten disciplines. We at Lent & Beyond highly commend ARDF’s work and this appeal:

The Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) is asking Anglican Christians in North America to engage in the discipline of giving during the season of Lent.

According to Canon Nancy Norton, ARDF’s executive director, gifts marked “Lenten Appeal” will be used to help fund seven projects that have already received approval from ARDF’s board.

Those projects include work in the Democratic Republic of Congo to repair and expand the Lwanwa Primary school, reaching out to the poor and marginalized in North Bangalore, India, helping pregnant women in Brazil, enabling displaced Kenyans to return home, and rescuing Nepalese sex-trafficking victims. (full descriptions of all of the approved projects are available here.

Full details here.

Deuteronomy 6:3-7

“Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you–’a land flowing with milk and honey.’” (Deuteronomy 6:3)
      LORD, you have marked out the path for us clearly: help us in this diocese fear you and keep your commandments so that we can increase and multiply.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
      Holy Spirit, help us hear and know the unity you have with Jesus and his father.

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
      Father, please help us love you and make your love known to all we meet.

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:6)
      Jesus, please give us softened hearts — melt our stony hearts with the fire of your Holy Spirit.

“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7)
      Holy Spirit, give us hearts that are diligent in teaching the youth of our diocese and the youth of our parish the way they are to walk in. Thank you.

      A word received: Tell my people, proclaim to my people that I AM LORD, there is no other. Command my people to put away all other gods.

Sunday: 148, 149, 150; Deut. 6:1-9; Hebrews 12:18-29; John 12:24-32
Monday: 25; Deuteronomy 6:10-15; Hebrews 1:1-14; John 1:1-18

      Notes from the Front Line

A great resource to check out is http://www.hymntime.com/tch/ where you can look up and hear many great hymns.

Albany Intercessor

Good news about Lent posts & resources

To our friends who read Lent & Beyond,

Even though our old blog site is no longer online, we’ve been able to use an archive site to retrieve ALL of our Lent entries from 2007, and should be able to retrieve 2006 and maybe 2005 Lenten entries as well.

That means that in addition to whatever new materials we may post this year, we should be able to bring back online a wealth of Lenten quotes, Lenten prayers, devotionals, and resource suggestions from our archives.

Keep checking back over the next 2-3 days as we  start to bring some of the treasures of our Lenten archives online.  We’ll likely post a number of links to excellent Lenten resources first, and then move on to Lenten devotionals, quotes and prayers once we hit Ash Wednesday (Feb. 25th).

The Cyber Hymnal has a new Address

Doing some blog housekeeping,  I discovered a comment from a few weeks ago by the administrators of the Cyber Hymnal website – one of our favorite resources on the internet.

Due to some kind of domain name conflict, they’ve got a new address:

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/

Bookmark it and spread the word!  It is a fantastic site.  We’ve updated our sidebar links.

Dr. Peter Toon reflects on Lent and justification by faith

I found this reminder by the Rev’d Dr. Peter Toon very helpful. Lent should not be focused on our works, our efforts, our spiritual disciplines, but on how any such disciplines strengthen our faith and trust in Christ:

The English Prayer Book of 1549, which replaced the medieval Latin books, retained the Christian Year, and with it the season of Lent, the period of forty days immediately before Easter Day. At one level this could be seen as opening the possibility of falling back into the acceptance of salvation by works—by making fasting, extra devotions, pilgrimages, and the like into the very essence of the Christian religion. However, a careful reading of the rubrics in the Prayer Book, along with the required Collects for Lent provided in the same Book, shows that the Christian life remains primarily of repentance for sin, faith and trust in God, and using external means like fasting to strengthen and intensify that relation of penitence, faith and obedience to God the Father through Jesus the Son in the power of the Holy Ghost—and in the life of the church. (emphasis added)

Here is the prayer used throughout Lent in the Anglican Way:

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here there is no salvation by good works: there is the love of God the Creator of man, there is the call to repentance by God’s creatures, there is the offer of full and free forgiveness; there is the recognition of the sinfulness of man’s heart and its need for cleansing and renewal, and there is the recognition that all this is possible through the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The authentic Anglican or Reformed Catholic keeping of Lent is one of profound and deep devotion which is based on trust in God the Father, believing in the promises of his Son, and living in the power of the Holy Ghost, even as the Church identifies with the same Son of God in his humanity as that was attacked by Satan both in the wilderness and at Mount Calvary.

Dr. Toon’s full text is here.

Rick Warren: reminds us of the importance of prayer in our economic crisis

I found this article by Rick Warren to be an extremely important and helpful reminder of the spiritual dimension to our current economic crisis. Expounding on 2 Chron. 7:14, Warren cites the need for
– humble confession
–tenacious prayer
– intensely seeking God
– sincere repentance

Here’s how his article starts:

What will heal America?
by Rick Warren

God wants to heal his people today. He wants to start with the church. And pastor, he wants to start
with you and me.

Rick Warren

It’s widely understood that America is in its worst condition in our generation. Last year was the greatest year of job loss in America in 69 years. Yes, that’s 69 years! Politically, our government has been paralyzed by partisanship. Culturally, we’re becoming more and more secular. And internationally, our reputation has never been lower.

America needs healing.

We need healing in our economy. We need healing in our businesses. We need healing in our schools. We need healing in our marriages and our families. And, most of all, we need healing in our hearts.

But our wounds are not fatal. I’m very hopeful. My hope is not based upon some vague wish. It’s rooted in the Word of God. It’s rooted in the belief that even when life is tough, God is good and he has a plan and purpose for our lives and for our country.

So what will it take to heal our land?

Almost 3,000 years ago God made a promise to King Solomon that’s particularly appropriate for us to internalize today. It’s a promise that he has made to all of us – even 21st century America. God says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).

What is it that will heal America? We have to do the four things that God told Solomon and the nation of Israel to do. But never forget who God was speaking to in this passage. He was speaking to his people – the nation of Israel. God wants to heal his people today as well. He wants to start with the church. And pastor, he wants to start with you and me. As spiritual leaders, God has called us to model the four actions that will lead to national healing.

Read the whole article here.

Prayer Table Report

Saturday, February 21, 2009; in front of Christ Church, Schenectady. Torre Bissell & Steve Evans

It was cold and windy,but … people came to His table anyway!

+–indicates received a cross made by Dennis Adams of North Carolina.

Linda — – middle-aged woman — asked for prayers for protection and provision

Steve — – middle-aged man — wanted prayers to start his own business, be his own boss. “If I don’t try, I’ll never know.” He estimated it would take him $30,000 to start his own business.

+Joanne — – young woman — wanted prayer for money to pay for her apartment and prayers for her son Joseph, for Denise who is diabetic and on dialysis, and Dontay and Shemta that they would get their lives in order and for their children.

Akquan — – young man — prayed for protection and provision

+Theresa — – young woman — When I asked what she wanted prayer for she said, “Me.”

+Donal — – middle-aged man — Wanted prayer for “serenity”.

+Billy — – young man age 26 — weeping, his son, Billy age 5, died last night. He has 3 other kids. He said, “All his mother [the boy's mother] wanted to do was argue with me.”

Jim — – older man — prayed for him and for his son Robert.

Pat — – middle-aged woman — her son Keith finally realizes that he has to take his blood pressure medicine regularly. He is trying to get a job as a bus driver.

+Heather — – young woman — prayed for protection and provision

+Barbara — late middle-aged woman — “Resolution of difficult situation.

+Becky — – young woman — “Going to South Africa as an educational consultant next week” for travel mercies and blessing on her work.

Eric and his son Eric — going to the Macedonia Seventh Day Adventist Church around the corner on Swan St. — prayed for an anointed witness at church.

Desdemona — late middle-aged woman — going to Macedonia Seventh Day Adventist Church around the corner on Swan St. — prayed she would enter into the Lord’s presence as she worshiped.

+Ron and his baby Isabella in a stroller — prayed for protection and provision

Albany Intercessor

107:33-38

He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; (Psalm 107:33)
      LORD, so much of your church has turned into dry ground; have mercy on us.

A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it. (Psalm 107:34)
      Father, we have ceased to bring the harvest of fruit to you that you have a right to expect; have mercy on us.

He turns a wilderness into pools of water, and dry land into watersprings. (Psalm 107:35)
      Holy Spirit, come and quench our dryness with living water.

There he makes the hungry dwell, that they may establish a city for a dwelling place, (Psalm 107:36)
      Jesus, help us feed the hungry with the meat of the gospel and clothe those poor in spirit with your righteousness, so that we may be established before you.

And sow fields and plant vineyards, that they may yield a fruitful harvest. (Psalm 107:37)
      Jesus, please help us sow righteousness, mercy, and peace, and yield up to you a fruitful harvest.

He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; and he does not let their cattle decrease. (Psalm 107:38 )
      LORD, the cattle on a thousand hills are yours (Psalm 50:10); it is time to sell off some them to provide for the poor, the destitute and those who have lost their jobs. Have mercy on your people and provide for them. Please show us our part in this as well.

      A word received: Cry out to me for my people. Pray for my people to return to me. Pray for the shepherds of the flock — that they will be faithful to their calling and to their oaths. Pray for my people to receive my word in the Scriptures. Pray for my people to drink deeply of my Holy Spirit.

Saturday: 107:33-43, 108:1-6(7-13); Isaiah 66:1-6; 1 Timothy 6:6-21; Mark 12:35-44
Sunday: 148, 149, 150; Deut. 6:1-9; Hebrews 12:18-29; John 12:24-32

Albany Intercessor

Mark 12:28-34

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” (Mark 12:28 )
      Lord, give us an inquiring and discerning heart as you did this scribe.

Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. (Mark 12:29-30)
      Holy Spirit, please restore this commandment to primacy in the Episcopal Church.

And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)
      Father, please help our love for you to spill over into loving one another in the Episcopal Church.

So the scribe said to him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but he. (Mark 12:32)
      Jesus, help us set aside and abandon all other gods that we have created for ourselves.

And to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33)
      Holy Spirit, please help us get this right.

Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question him. (Mark 12:34)
      Father, bring us all that final distance into your kingdom. Thank you.

Friday: 102; Isaiah 65:17-25; 1 Tim 5:17-22(23-25); Mark 12:28-34
Saturday: 107:33-43, 108:1-6(7-13); Isaiah 66:1-6; 1 Timothy 6:6-21; Mark 12:35-44

Albany Intercessor

Covenant Design Group

The Covenant Design Group will meet in England the last week in March. Members attending the meeting that produced the St. Andrew’s draft were
The Most Revd Drexel Gomez, Primate of the West Indies, Chair
The Revd Dr Victor Atta-Baffoe, Anglican Church of West Africa
The Most Revd Dr John Chew, Primate of South East Asia
The Revd Dr A Katherine Grieb, The Episcopal Church (USA)
The Rt Revd Santosh Marray, Bishop of the Seychelles
The Most Revd Dr John Neill, Archbishop of Dublin
Chancellor Rubie Nottage, Church in the Province of the West Indies
Dr J Eileen Scully, Anglican Church of Canada
The Revd Dr Ephraim Radner, The Episcopal Church (USA)
The Revd Canon Gregory Cameron, Anglican Communion Office, Secretary
Professor Norman Doe, Cardiff University, Consultant
The Revd Canon Andrew Norman, Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative

Unto Thee, O Lord, do we lift up the souls of Drexel, Victor, John, Katherine, Santosh, John, Rubie, Eileen, Ephraim, Gregory, Norman, and Andrew. We lift up Joanna, should she be included in this upcoming meeting.
O my God, we trust in Thee. Let us not be ashamed. Let not our enemies triumph over us. Yea, let none that wait on Thee be ashamed. Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
Show the Covenant Design Group Your ways, O Lord. Teach them Your paths. Lead them in Your truth and teach them. For Thou art the God of our salvation. On Thee do we wait. Amen.
Psalm 25:1-5

Report of the last meeting

Praying for those affected by Australian Fires

While browsing various blogs this morning, I found a link to an excellent post on an Australian blog called “the Sola Panel” which I’d bookmarked and read frequently last summer during the GAFCON conference. It’s about how Australian Christians should respond to the devastation caused by the recent wildfires. There’s a good section on how to be praying in the aftermath of this crisis:

* Pray. Our church has encouraged us to pray:
o for comfort and support for those who have lost family and property
o for the provision of housing and food and schooling to those in need
o praise and strength for those who continue to fight the fires
o thanks for the preservation of so many people who escaped
o that God will bring good from this, including improved procedures for future fires
o and that all who escaped from the flames will recognize the need to also escape from judgement by reconciling with God in Christ.

I thank God that his word gives us words of lament for times like this—that it gives us the heart and hands to reach out in compassion—that it gives us hope for a home which can’t be destroyed (John 14:1-4) and hope for a day when God will wipe every tear from our eyes (Rev 21:4). I thank God for the fact that those who trust in Jesus know that, whatever and whoever else we lose, we cannot lose him.