Mobile Update

A reader sent me the following email concerning Christmas decorations on Hardee's. Thanks!

Hey Steve--it is a little early for the Christmas decorations at that Hardee's, but here's something I didn't know until a couple of years ago:  Hardees puts out those decorations for the kids in Baptist who are on one of the floors overlooking Hardees...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

It's Halloween

Driving past Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center I noticed the Hardee's on the corner was decked out in Christmas decorations - already!  We're not at Christmas yet, we haven't even made past Halloween.  So in the spirit of taking one day at a time, here are some readings and prayers for today taken from the Book of Occasional Services.

The Witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:3-25)

Let us pray.
Almighty and everliving God, you have made all things in your wisdom and established the boundaries of life and death: Grant that we may obey your voice in this world, and in the world to come may enjoy the rest and peace which you have appointed for your people; through Jesus Christ who is Resurrection and Life, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Vision of Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 4:12-21)

Let us pray.
You, O Lord, have made us from the dust of the earth and to dust our bodies shall return; yet you have also breathed your Spirit upon us and called us to new life in you: Have mercy upon us, now and at the hour of our death; through Jesus Christ, our mediator and advocate.  Amen.

The Valley of the Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Let us pray.
O God, you have called your people to your service from age to age.  Do not give us over to death, but raise us up to serve you, to praise you, and to glorify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The War in Heaven (Revelation 12:1-12)

Let us pray.
O most merciful and mighty God, your son Jesus Christ was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary to bring us salvation and to establish your kingdom on earth: Grant that Michael and all your angels may defend your people against Satan and every evil foe, and that at the last we may come to that heavenly country where your saints for ever sing your praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

All Hallow's Eve Carnival

What's a Sunday Like at St Timothy's?

Just for Today

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs, I do not pray;
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin, just for today.
Let me both diligently work and duly pray.
Let me be kind in word and deed, just for today.
Let me be slow to do my will, prompt to obey;
Help me to sacrifice myself just for today.
and if today my tide of life should ebb away,
Give me thy Sacraments divine, Sweet Lord, today.
So for tomorrow and its needs I do not pray,
But keep me, guide me, love me, Lord
Just for today.
Amen.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

Rekindling the Bible in Rome

Roman Catholic bishops have been meeting in Rome for the Synod of Bishops.  The theme for this meeting is, basically, the Bible.  It seems as if the Pope and St Timothy's are thinking along the same lines - how can we rekindle love and interest in the Bible - the story of God's salvation of humanity?  Today we finish our final Rekindle the Bible gathering.  All month we have looked at the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament, the New Testament, and today we'll talk about making the Bible a part of our daily life and practice (plus some time spent looking at hard parts in the Bible).  Come join us!  (8:15am - which is about to start!!, and 6:30pm)

For your reading - a link with articles about the Synod of Bishops.
http://www.usccb.org/synod/

Here's a story on the Bible reading marathon started by the Pope.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/06/bible.marathon.ap/#cnnSTCText

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

Notice Anything?

Take a look at this Sunday's Old Testament reading. 

What sort of things jump out at you as you read this?

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain-- that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees-- as far as Zoar. The LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, `I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there." Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, at the LORD's command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

Where Does That Leave You

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:

   "As I live and breathe," God says,
      "every knee will bow before me;
   Every tongue will tell the honest truth
      that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

Romans 14:10-12
from The Message

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

Habamus Infantum

We have a baby!
Walker Easton Rice
8lbs 14oz
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Timing Contractions

I'm blogging from my cell phone. While we are timing contractions, I thought you might like to read an article from the Anglican News Service on Christians in Iraq. This topic was brought up at our Wednesday night program.

------Original Message------
From: Anglican Communion News Service
To: scrice@mac.com
Subject: ACNS4535 Christians in Iraq
Sent: Oct 17, 2008 10:23 AM

Christians in Iraq

Posted On : October 17, 2008 3:13 PM | Posted By : Webmaster
ACNS: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/10/17/ACNS4535

Related Categories: Middle East

The Anglican Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf, whose diocese includes Iraq,
has expressed his strong solidarity with all Christians there at a time
when they in particular are suffering a spate of violence.

The bishop recently visited Baghdad, where he met religious and
political leaders, including major Shi'a and Sunni figures, as well as
diplomats.

Speaking from Nicosia, Cyprus, he said:

"I am in close touch, as always, with our priest in Baghdad, Canon
Andrew White, and with leaders of our congregations, especially at St
George's church in the north-western suburbs. The threats, injuries, and
deaths in the Mosul area are a deep grief to all Christians in the
nation of Iraq and throughout the world, and fly in the face of
centuries-long coexistence and toleration in the land, where Christian
families have lived and prospered from near the very beginnings of our
faith.

"I am glad to hear that key figures in both the Christian and the main
Muslim communities are united in condemnation of the violence and are
soon to meet.

"It is a comfort, too, to know that Muslim and Christian clerics and
scholars meeting in the UK to discuss interfaith encounter, led by the
Archbishop of Canterbury and by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, have joined in
unequivocally declaring that no one should be persecuted or threatened
on account of their religious faith.

"My prayers are for the whole nation of Iraq, and especially with the
Christian Churches and their leaders, such as the deeply respected
Chaldaean Catholic Patriarch Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, and believers
of all traditions, as well as our Muslim brothers and sisters."

The Anglican church of St George Baghdad regularly sees up to two
thousand worshippers each week, all indigenous Iraqis. The chaplaincy
led by Canon White also currently serves multinational congregations
inside the International Zone of the city.

+ Bishop Michael Lewis

___________________________________________________________________
ACNSlist, published by Anglican Communion News Service, London, is
distributed to more than 8,000 journalists and other readers around
the world.

For subscription INFORMATION please go to:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/acnslist.cfm

To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your address, please click here:
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For daily updates on local, national and communion-wide news stories
please visit the ACNS Digest page:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Baby Update

There is a backup of babies...so we are waiting in line. More later!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Baby Watch

We're going in at 8. Check back with this blog and I'll email a post when the newest member of St Timothy's arrives!

Teresa of Avila

Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada (later known as Teresa de Jesus) was born in Avila, Spain, 28 March 1515, one of ten children whose mother died when she was fifteen. Her family was of partly Jewish ancestry. Teresa, having read the letters of Jerome, decided to become a nun, and when she was 20, she entered the Carmelite convent in Avila. There she fell seriously ill, was in a coma for a while, and partially paralyzed for three years. In her early years as a nun, she was, by her account, assiduous in prayer while sick but lax and lukewarm in her prayers and devotions when the sickness had passed. However, her prayer life eventually deepened, she began to have visions and a vivid sense of the presence of God, and was converted to a life of extreme devotion.

In 1560 she resolved to reform the monastery that had, she thought, departed from the order's original intention and become insufficiently austere. Her proposed reforms included strict enclosure (the nuns were not to go to parties and social gatherings in town, or to have social visitors at the convent, but to stay in the convent and pray and study most of their waking hours) and discalcing (literally, taking off one's shoes, a symbol of poverty, humility, and the simple life, uncluttered by luxuries and other distractions). In 1562 she opened a new monastery in Avila, over much opposition in the town and from the older monastery. At length Teresa was given permission to proceed with her reforms, and she travelled throughout Spain establishing seventeen houses of Carmelites of the Strict (or Reformed) Observance (the others are called Carmelites of the Ancient Observance). The reformed houses were small, poor, disciplined, and strictly enclosed. Teresa died 4 October 1582. (She is commemorated on the 15th--why not the 14th, I wonder--because the Pope changed the calendar from the Julian to the Gregorian system, a difference of 10 days, on the day after her death.)

Teresa is reported to have been very attractive in person, witty, candid, and affectionate. She is remembered both for her practical achievements and organizing skill and for her life of contemplative prayer. Her books are read as aids to the spiritual life by many Christians of all denominations. Her Life is her autobiography to 1562; The Way of Perfection is a treatise on the Christian walk, written primarily for her sisters but of help to others as well; The Book of Foundations deals with establishing, organizing and overseeing the daily functioning of religious communities; The Interior Castle (or The Castle of The Soul) deals with the life of Christ in the heart of the believer. Most of these are available in paperback. 31 of her poems and 458 of her letters survive. Her feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is 15 October. The Lutheran Church (ELCA) commemorates her on December 14 together with St. John of the Cross.

Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
compassion on this world
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

from here.

Sunday's Sermon

We're experimenting with podcasting. Stay tuned.



PS: This is the statue that now resides in Bowling Green park in NYC.

She's a Theologian (and a morning person)

My four-year-old pops in the bedroom this morning.
"God told me to get up."
"God told you to get up?"
"Yep, he made the sun shine in my window."

Can't argue with that.

More on the financial crisis...

from the Anglican Communion News Service:

Web users looking for support during the current financial situation have boosted traffic to a Church of England website section focusing on debt advice by over 70 per cent, and increased visitor numbers to the Church’s online prayer page by more than a quarter.

The Matter of Life and Debt website section - containing a new ‘debt spiral’ feature so visitors can work out if they are one of the many families who will be seriously affected by the credit crunch, and useful advice for those worried about debt - has seen a 71 per cent increase in traffic in recent weeks.

It can be viewed by visiting www.cofe.anglican.org/debt.

A new Prayer for the Current Financial Situation has been viewed nearly 8,000 times since it was published online in September - increasing traffic to the popular Prayers for Today section by 28 per cent.

It can be found online at www.cofe.anglican.org/prayers.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, recently said: “At this time of international financial turbulence, it is important that the Church should be offering the opportunity for prayer and reflection.”

Prayers for Today also contains many other useful contemporary prayers - covering issues such as exam stress, and world peace.

Prayer for the Current Financial Situation

from the Church of England

Lord God, we live in disturbing days:

across the world,

prices rise,

debts increase,

banks collapse,

jobs are taken away,

and fragile security is under threat.

Loving God, meet us in our fear and hear our prayer:

be a tower of strength amidst the shifting sands,

and a light in the darkness;

help us receive your gift of peace,

and fix our hearts where true joys are to be found,

in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing of Hands

Funny...

Pope: financial crisis shows futility of money

from Yahoo news:

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI says the global financial crisis show the futility of money and ambition.

Benedict says that "now with the collapse of big banks we see that money disappears, is nothing and all these things that appear real are in fact of secondary importance." He urges those who build their lives "only on things that are visible, such as success, career, money" to keep that in mind.

The pontiff was speaking Monday as he opened the works of a meeting of 253 bishops at the Vatican.

Benedict says "the only solid reality is the word of God."