A bedtime prayer

When I was a child, my mother would have me kneel by my bed each night and recite this old and commonplace prayer;

Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
 
As a young girl, this did not strike me as particularly ghoulish, but as an adult, it seems horrible!  It is an old rhyme dating from the time when the death of a child was distressingly  commonplace.
 
Bedtime prayers are important for children, a chance for God to become part of a child’s life in a routine way.  However, maybe the prayer should be less about death and more about God’s love and protection.
 
Here is a different prayer, a mash-up of two different nighttime rhymes;
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
Bless the bed I lie upon.
Four corners has my bed,
Four angels ‘round my head.
One to listen, one to pray,
Two to chase bad dreams away.
Thank you, Lord, for I am blessed,
Thank you, Lord.  And now I rest.
 
It is a little longer, but it can be recited responsively, with the parent taking the first line and the child taking the next.  And at least it is less likely to give the parent bad dreams.
 
— Margaret Bivins

Divine Surrender

Our identity as Christians includes our intention to give ourselves entirely to Christ, and in so doing make God our “all in all”.  Such devotion to God is uplifting and joyful as we say, pray, and sing our hopes to make Christ the center of our lives.

When I have considered more closely what it means to make God my all in all, I have realized that while it is good and reassuring to proclaim this, it is not so easy to accomplish. I am learning that giving myself to Christ and allowing myself to be fully embraced by God is a process that is taking a lifetime, and more significantly, it is a journey that is not without obstacles.  So how do I make this journey?  Another way of asking this is how do I go from believing to living this fundamental truth that I belong to God entirely?

The answer for me is to do the work.  Through my attempts at prayer, meditation, and exploration of the wisdom coming to us from the ages, I have a growing certainty that there is a part of me, deep within, that is uncreated, eternal, and untouched by sin. This part of myself is what I must give to Christ, but as much as I want to, I can’t quite let go.  Delusion and sin tell me that to let go of this most essential part of myself is to also give up the control I foolishly think I have over my own life.  Overcoming the fear and insecurity that arises from this inner tug of war is the journey of spiritual growth.  Meditation, in the form of Centering Prayer, worship, and identification with community are my traveling companions in this journey.

Slowly, I am learning what scripture means in saying that when we throw off our old, isolated selves, we are reborn in Christ.  Each time we pray, meditate, reflect on scripture, or engage in community, our acceptance of God’s love increases.  Bit by bit, we surrender and let go of the delusion that we are separate from God.  And as we surrender, we gain a growing sense of unity—not only unity with God, but with all of God’s creation.  This oneness is our prayer of hope, and it is the direction of our never-ending spiritual journey.

— David Lilley

 

 

Our Mission Statement - four years later

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”  (2 Corinthians 5:1)

As I skimmed the selected readings for the 9 June Lectionary, that verse from 2 Corinthians grabbed my attention and reminded me of a time only 4 short years ago when St. Andrew’s debuted its current Mission Statement (“Building God’s Kingdom through Worship, Outreach, and Fellowship”).  As I think back on it now, I remember how appropriate and fitting I found the use of the word “building” -- calling to mind both a continuous action and a concrete image.  Now, four years later, and with a new opportunity to reflect on our “building,” I take comfort in the realization that what we are actually building -- through worship, outreach, and fellowship -- will outlive all of us and our physical structure at 45 Main Street.  In a modern world where so much of what we know is instant, fleeting, ephemeral, and short-lived, what a blessing and privilege to be part of something eternal, lasting, permanent, and long-lived. 

As we take another look at our Mission Statement and what we’re building together, I find it more than appropriate to close with a prayer that forms part of the text typically used in a service that dedicates and consecrates a church.  Lord Jesus Christ, make this a temple of your presence and a house of prayer. Be always near us when we seek you in this place. Draw us to you, when we come alone and when we come with others, to find comfort and wisdom, to be supported and strengthened, to rejoice and give thanks. May it be here, Lord Christ, that we are made one with you and with one another, so that our lives are sustained and sanctified for your service.

— Lindsey Nicolai

 

General Convention, Revival, and the Flat Bishop Challenge!

Dear friends,

In just a few short weeks, The Episcopal Church will hold our 81^st General Convention, which is the governing body of The Episcopal Church.  General Convention meets every three years and is composed of a House of Deputies and a House of Bishops, with deputies and bishops coming together from each of our 110 dioceses.  The 2024 General Convention will take place in Louisville, Kentucky from June 23 through 28^th.  This year’s gathering will mark the conclusion of Michael B. Curry’s term as our Presiding Bishop.  (To learn more about General Convention, visit www.generalconvention.org)

You may remember that Bishop Curry loves revivals.  Bishop Curry’s revival ministry has inspired Episcopalians to come together for Jesus-centered worship, prayer, and action.  During his time in office, he has led 26 revivals all across the United States, including one last April here in our own diocese.  Now Bishop Curry is inviting us to join him for one final revival, which will be held on the eve of General Convention. 

The love.ALWAYS. Episcopal Revival will be livestreamed from Louisville on Saturday, June 22 from 7-9 p.m.  We are encouraged to bring friends and family and join the revival online to say "thank you," to renew our love for God and neighbor, and to welcome new friends discovering Jesus through The Episcopal Church.  Go to www.episcopalchurch.org/love-always-episcopal-revival to learn more and sign up.

Our diocese has issued a “Flat Bishop Challenge” leading up to the love.ALWAYS. Episcopal Revival and General Convention.  Flat Bishop is a picture of Presiding Bishop Curry, and we are encouraged to take pictures of ourselves with Flat Bishop and share them through social media.  Here at St. Andrew’s, we will take a picture at each service on Sunday, June 9 of us with Flat Bishop.  If you would like to print and cut out your own Flat Bishop for picture-taking purposes, go to www.episcopalchurch.org/presiding-bishop-michael-curry/official-photos.

Meanwhile, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. EST through June 26, you are invited to join a 15-minute prayer call with the Episcopal Church Revival Team.  The call is an opportunity to pray together for God’s blessing, guidance and protection on leaders preparing for the revival and General Convention and also to pray for the revival of the whole church.  All are welcome; the link can be found at www.episcopalchurch.org/love-always-episcopal-revival.

This is an exciting and important time in the life of our beloved Episcopal Church.  God is at work.  Please join me in holding the love.ALWAYS. Episcopal Revival and our General Convention in prayer in the coming days.  As always, I am so grateful to be part of this parish and the wider Episcopal Church with each of you.

Blessings. -Anne