Dear Friends,
I have discovered that when you say something about an issue you run the risk of not being able to say all you need to say. The safe thing is to say nothing; but I feel compelled to say a few things. You might disagree with me that is okay. The Zimmerman Trial is completed and I trust the courts, lawyers, jurors, judge and all involved did their best to bring about justice. George Zimmerman was found not guilty. There will be civil trials and from what I have heard there are calls for the Department of Justice to bring charges. So it is not over.
This is a tragedy on all levels. Both families are scarred. May God bring healing to them both. I will not speculate about this tragedy. There was a fight that ended in a young man's death and it is very sad. Our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Greg Brewer wrote:
I want to live in a world where George Zimmerman offered Trayvon Martin a ride home to get him out of the rain that night. Come Lord Jesus! (Bishop Brewer reflected further on this in an article on Christianity Today... CLICK HERE)
I want to live in that world too! It may seem like wishful thinking but I long for and believe in a peaceable Kingdom where love reigns. I feel the pain of polarization in the community, in the nation and even in the church. We must have a larger vision and live into our Baptismal Covenant. (Click Here) If we all lived this covenantal life what a different world this would be.
May Almighty God bring healing, bind up the brokenhearted, reconcile those who are lost, grant us repentance and amendment of life, restore us in grace and forgiveness to Himself and each other; May He mold us to be His light and love to dark and cold world.
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On another note... We had a very productive Vestry Meeting last week and there are some wonderful things stirring in our midst. After much discussion and prayer we have decided to launch a Saturday Evening Service. We are now looking at design and content but I can tell you the following. It will be a liturgical service (Ministry of the Word and Ministry of the Sacrament - Holy Communion. It will have some music components. It will typically run one hour. It will begin / launch on Saturday, September 14th with special guest David Baroni check out www.davidbaroni.com (He will also be with us for Sunday services on the 15th)
We will celebrate our 7th Anniversary as a mission congregation on September 8th. Join us in hearing the Incarnation Story!
Additionally we will be starting a class at the Oviedo YMCA on the week of September 16th (Tuesday mornings and Thursday Evenings) The class has a working title of Healthy Families in a Challenging World. It will run for about six weeks and I hope we can end with a dinner inviting the class to Incarnation on the Canterbury Campus. This will give us a great opportunity to reach out in the community. I hope in the future we will be running Alpha Course and/or Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at the YMCA.
Our good friend Steve Fry (http://stevenfry.org) will be with us for a worship service on the evening of Wednesday September 11th.
Other moments coming up - A Fellowship Breakfast on August 4th / 9am in the Canterbury Dining Room to talk about these moments and Christian Formation, The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Confirmation, and more.
All of these events are in various stages of planning. Pray for us as we move forward so that we would hear, listen and obey the Lord in all these endeavors and opportunities.
As I reflect on this I must tell you it feels to me like the launch with lots of opportunities to invite people into the church; hoping they will come to know Jesus and grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord. In recent weeks when I have visited with newcomers to the church they tend to be very positive about what they find in us. They appreciate the worship, the community and get a good feeling from their experience with us. I am sure we can always tweak things, improve and hone our "craft". There is a real sense that part of our problem is MARKETING! It is hard for people to find us and to know that we are even here. The real task as we move forward will be getting the word out. The best way to do this is relationally; building friendships and inviting people to join us in the mission. In these next couple weeks and leading up to and through September we will be proactive and deliberate in a marketing plan. If you want to help in working on events, advertising, getting the word out. Please pray for success! Our theme this year has been: IT IS TIME FOR US TO GROW...
in the mission,
Fr. Jon+
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A very profound and reflective article by Peggy Noonan. It got me thinking... http://www.peggynoonan.com Please pray for James Morical. He is on a short term mission in Honduras. Check out his mission adventure... CLICK HERE
Please pray for Fr. Stephen Daas and his wife Mary, Diocesan Missionaries to Brazil.
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I remember doing this song at a few Coffee Houses back in the day, Fool's Wisdom. A very nice version...
 | | Fool's Wisdom (Alwyn and Jano Wall pt5) |
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Another retreat opportunity with Dr. Carla Waterman
 for more information... CLICK HERE
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