Donate to All Saints by Searching the Internet
March 28, 2009
Install the All Saints Anglican Church Toolbar on your Internet browser and raise money for the parish just by searching the Internet.
You will also have instant access to the Online Shopping Mall to make it easy to donate to All Saints when you buy merchandise online that you would buy anyway.
Liturgy Lesson for Passion Sunday: Preparing for the Way of the Cross
March 27, 2009
On the nave walls, you may have noticed stations for the Way of the Cross, an ancient devotion intended for us to each make a small pilgrimage with our Lord through His Passion and Death. This is a very Scriptural practice—St. Paul taught us to glory in Christ and Him crucified, and we are also instructed to be willing to share in Christ’s sufferings, taking up our own crosses and following Him. This small, but intense devotion is a way we can do that, rehearsing His propitiation in a series of 14 meditations, walking from one station to another to help the faithful to make in spirit, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death. To aid in that devotion, we have placed small booklets in each pew from now until Easter. The origin of this devotion may be traced to the Holy Land, where the Via Dolorosa at Jerusalem was reverently marked out from the earliest times and has been the goal of pilgrims ever since the days of Constantine. For us, we use the stations and devotions to help us put our lives in perspective and to reproduce devotions in holy places in other lands for those who were hindered from making the actual pilgrimage. For us, as we make our devotions to the Lord, may we ask the Holy Ghost to help us to take up our cross and follow Him in our Lenten examen, growing in Him, as we rehearse His Passion for us all!
Liturgy Lesson for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
March 25, 2009
St Luke 1:26-38 tells us God sent Gabriel to St. Mary, betrothed to St. Joseph. The angel said, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” She was troubled—didn’t know the angel or what his greeting meant. He continued. “Do not be afraid, Mary…you have found favor with God… you will conceive… a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great… the Son of the Highest; and … God will give Him the throne of His father David…He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Mary had no idea why God chose her to be Messiah’s mother! Astonished, she said: “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” Calming her, he said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you… the power of the Highest will overshadow you…that Holy One … will be called the Son of God. Now … Elizabeth…has also conceived … in her old age… this is …the sixth month for her who was… barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Mary may not have grasped the message of how God would reconcile her pregnancy and virginity among her people, but, trusting Him, she said: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” She submitted to God’s purpose, even though it might mean disgrace or loss! Interestingly, from ancient times, this feast was the nesting place for Christmas—set nine months before. Like the feast, our faith is nested in ,too—because, like Mary, our mission for God begins with our choice to ignore our surroundings and circumstances—and trust Him, allowing the Holy Spirit to work the Father’s purpose in our lives!
Holy Communion Wednesday Night
March 25, 2009
Today is the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. All Saints will observe with Holy Communion rather than Compline at 7:15 PM following the Wednesday Night Supper Club.
God Working in My Life: Healing by Lillie Ammann
March 23, 2009
I’ve had osteoarthritis for years, especially in my left knee. A few days before Christmas, I tripped and fell, landing on my right knee on the concrete floor. I was able to get up and move around with only mild pain and a little bruising. However, the pain continued to worsen. By the day of the parish meeting, it was getting hard for me to get around. The next day, my right knee gave way, and I fell flat on my face in the laundry room.
The pain was excruciating, and I couldn’t get up. Jack heard me fall and came running, but when he tried to help me up, the pain was too severe for me to stand, even with his help. I drug myself through the house, lying flat on the floor and maneuvering myself forward with my arms. Jack helped me sit in a chair and change out of my pajamas into clothes. We called EMS, and they helped me into the wheelchair Jack pulled out of the storeroom, wheeled me outside, and assisted me to make the transfer to the car for the trip to the doctor’s office.
X-rays showed nothing was broken, but the arthritic damage was badly aggravated. The doctor prescribed painkillers and a soft knee brace, which Jack picked up at the pharmacy on the way home. He wondered aloud how we were going to get me into the house without help—two aides had assisted me in and out of the doctor’s office. While I was still in the car, we opened the knee brace and managed it to get it on. With my knee braced and with Jack’s help, I made it into the house though the pain was severe. I stayed in a recliner for the next couple of weeks except when Jack helped me to the bathroom or to the table for a meal he prepared. Even that little bit of walking irritated my bad left knee so Jack got a brace for it also.
Nearly two weeks later, I was moving around enough with a walker to go to church. Father Chip did a first aid prayer after the service. On the next Wednesday, he did healing prayer after Evensong. Although no one has ever told me my legs weren’t even, Father Chip held my legs out in front of me and pointed out that the left leg was shorter. He prayed, commanding the left leg to become even with the right … and I and the intercessors praying with us saw the leg stretch until it was even with the right leg. The only thing I felt was heat from Father Chip’s hands. Every time he has done healing prayer for me, wherever he lays his hands becomes hot. After Father Chip finished praying and anointed me with oil, I moved from the chair I’d been sitting in to a pew.
When I expressed amazement that I could bend my right knee, Father Chip responded, “Why are you surprised?”
Why, indeed? God has granted me so many healings that I should expect miracles. I do expect miracles … but I will never cease to be amazed, awed, and grateful for every miracle of God.
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This is the first in a series of three posts at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye on miraculous healings. This post is repeated at Healing Miracles: Part 1—Why Am I Surprised?, which links to the rest of the series.
Liturgy Lesson for the Fourth Sunday in Lent: Laetare Sunday
March 21, 2009
The Fourth Sunday of Lent, called “Laetare” (Rejoice) is named for the first words of the Introit prayed or sung before the procession to the Holy Table. In the first six or seven centuries, Lent began on the Sunday after Quinquagesima (50 Days before Easter)—but was only thirty-six fasting days. Church Fathers then added four days preceding, making a Biblical 40-day fast—as Jesus did in the Wilderness before He began His ministry. Originally the middle day of Lent, the Thursday before Laetare enjoyed relaxed discipline with special joy to encourage the faithful in their devotion through Lent’s Holy Ghost–powered examen, but was moved to the more practical Sunday feast day. Like Gaudete Sunday in Advent, this Sunday uses flowers on the altar and more festive worship music and allows rose-colored vestments instead of the more penitential purple as on the other Lenten Sundays, reminding us that it’s the quality of our devotion—not the details–that God wants—and that we are not to make our customs into the Law. The contrast between Laetare and other Lenten Sundays, then, echoes a promise God gave us in Scripture—that when the Enemy [of our Souls] rushes in like a flood, He would provide a standard to rally to—much like during the Exodus, when God instructed Moses to fashion a brazen pole and serpent; which, when looked upon, ensured Israelites bitten by venomous snakes would live. This all points us to Jesus—our Hope of Glory—our Standard to rally in the Wilderness to live eternally. On this day that is also called Refreshment Sunday, Sunday of the Five Loaves, (from a miracle recorded in the Gospel); Mid-Lent, and Mothering Sunday, we rightly take joy in today’s Epistle, as it cites our right to be called sons of God—and not in bondage to the letter of the law—eating the miracle meal from Jesus’ own hand—nailed to the Cross for us. Rally us, Lord—we follow you!
Letter from Bishop Minns to CANA Parishes
March 20, 2009
Dear CANA Parishes:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Angela, Rachel and I have just returned from an exciting week in Ile-Ife, Nigeria where the Standing Committee of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) met. I will be writing more about the outcome of the meeting in another letter.
The Rt. Rev’d Bob Duncan, Anglican Bishop of Pittsburgh and Moderator of the Common Cause Partnership, joined us on this trip, for his second time in Nigeria.
This is the first of a series of letters I plan to email to you on a fairly regular basis. As you probably know, CANA has put a lot of effort into our external communications to help CANA and orthodox Anglicanism get a fair hearing in the public arena. This investment has paid off in that we are now receiving much more balanced coverage from secular media, although we still have more work to do. Unfortunately, this has come at the cost of not being able to invest as much as we would like in our internal communications with you and our member congregations. Over the next few months, we are going to begin focusing more on our communications with you. These letters will be one step in that direction. I’d like to focus our attention in this letter on the ACNA – the emerging “Anglican Church in North America”.
ACNA is coming! But what is it and how does CANA fit in?
ACNA will hold its first Provincial Assembly in June 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas. CANA is one of the eleven founding bodies* of the Province and has been involved in its development from the beginning. The vision for ACNA is to be an expression of unified, mission-minded, biblically faithful Anglicanism in North America. The GAFCON Primates, representing a majority of the members of the Anglican Communion, have supported us in this endeavor. We have developed a Constitution and Canons to provide the necessary framework for our common life and it is our hope that these will be ratified at the Provincial Assembly in June.
CANA and each of the founding jurisdictions will be represented by their bishops together with a number of clergy and lay delegates (the precise number being determined by a formula that reflects their respective numerical strength). CANA will be entitled to a total of 27 delegates at the initial Assembly: 6 bishops, 1 member of the ACNA Executive Committee, 10 clergy, and 10 laity. At its recent meeting (February 17/18) the Executive Committee of the CANA Council resolved that in addition to our 6 bishops and Mrs. Patience Oruh who serves as the Treasurer on the ACNA’s Executive Committee, CANA’s delegation consist of the members of the Executive Committee (5 laity and 6 clergy), eligible members of the Board of Trustees (3 laity), CANA’s Archdeacon Howell Sasser, Canon Missioner Julian Dobbs, and 4 additional delegates which I am asking the Anglican District of Virginia and Anglican District of the Great Lakes to nominate.
It is our expectation that ACNA will grow by adding new dioceses/networks or regional “clusters” made up of both existing congregations and newly planted ones. I have heard that two such dioceses, one in the Northeast and one on the West Coast will be ready to make application to the ACNA for recognition at the inaugural assembly. Discussions are also underway in different parts of the country. In all of them the first priority is to discern what kind of structure will enable us to be most effective in our mission. Second, we want to organize so that already existing relationships that have been developed so far are enhanced. And third, and most important, we want to ensure that individual clergy and congregations are full participants in this important discernment.
CANA clergy and congregations, and especially those already part of our two regions will have an integral part in these discussions. As we do so, CANA will also continue to grow by adding new congregations. I am pleased to report that among the congregations which have recently joined us are Christ Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and St Edmund’s in Elm Grove, Wisconsin. We are glad to welcome these energetic congregations into the CANA family. There are about ten more congregations who are in the application process at this time.
Last week when the Church of Nigeria’s Standing Committee approved a resolution to be in “full and abiding communion” with the emerging Anglican Church in North America, the 19-million member province became the first Province to do so. We are grateful to God for the love and support of the Church of Nigeria, and especially the leadership of Archbishop Peter Akinola. The Church of Nigeria sponsored CANA as a gift to the global Anglican movement; and the leaders of the Church of Nigeria are praying for the day when the ACNA will be fully established.
This is an exciting time for all of us and even though there are still many questions to be answered, we are very conscious that our Lord is already ahead of us! It is my prayer that in all of our structural considerations we will not lose sight of our highest priority and that is to be a witness to the watching world of the transforming power of Christ’s life and love. Please join me in praying that we will stay faithful to that call during the coming months. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
* The 11 Founders of ACNA: American Anglican Council (AAC), Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC), Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA), Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC), Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican), Diocese of Fort Worth, Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, Diocese of Quincy, Forward in Faith North America (FiFNA), Reformed Episcopal Church (REC).
Holy Week Schedule
March 18, 2009
Holy Week, the final week of Lent between Palm Sunday and Easter, is a very important time for all Christians. All Saints observes this solemn week with special services as well as private confession and ministry.
View the Holy Week schedule page or download a PDF file of the Holy Week schedule.
Liturgy Lesson for the Third Sunday in Lent: Confession and Absolution
March 14, 2009
We speak a great deal about the central act of worship in our tradition—the Holy Communion. One of our most important spiritual duties in it—the confession and absolution—rightly precedes reception of the Lord’s own spiritual nature in the consecrated elements of bread and wine. When we confess, it’s VERY important to ask God the Holy Ghost to assist us in searching our own hearts for any unresolved sin, large or small—whether it’s a recurrent sin we purposely commit, or a more passive sin, such as unforgiveness or bitterness toward our brother or sister in Christ. Whatever the issue, we must spend time in devotion before the service, inviting the Holy Ghost to show us our hearts, and help us make an authentic confession, with the intention of real repentance—setting our wills to the effect of turning away from whatever the shortfall in our lives in Christ might be, so that we can fully receive the Lord’s absolution and then partake at the Lord’s Table in a worthy manner—redeemed by His Blood, which we accept by exercising our wills to live Godly lives before Him. When we do this, we open the windows of Heaven up for God to bless us fully. Thanks be to God!
Liturgy Lesson for the Second Sunday in Lent: Fast and Feast
March 7, 2009
Frequently, when Christians think about Lent, they consider what they are fasting—giving up—for the season, without realizing every Sunday is a “little Easter”—a “feast day” when Lenten discipline may relent, if done so in honor of the Resurrection. Also interesting—every Sunday is also a “little Lent,” since many among us practice the ancient custom of fasting the communion—that is, not eating until after we take the Body and Blood, and approaching our worship in an attitude of examen—Holy Spirit-powered self-examination before confession. In this way, every Sunday spent in the Lord’s courts are Lent and Easter combined—and model the season to us. We approach the Lord’s Presence by first confessing our shortcomings and hearing His forgiveness proclaimed, then break our fast in celebration of Christ’s mighty Resurrection that grants us access to the King, our Heavenly Father. We might also, instead of giving something up, add worship to our weekly routine—disciplining ourselves by “fasting” some free time to the Lord in services we usually don’t attend, such as choral Evensong on Wednesday nights. Scrub us, Lord—and teach us where we need most to tune our relationship with You!
