The Anglican Apologist

St Gabriel's Year In Review 2011

2012-01-25T00:01:00.002-06:00

Greetings in Christ,

Below you will find our year in review video for 2011. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/34304713

Sorry I have been away so long!!

2012-01-24T23:33:00.003-06:00

Greetings in Christ!

WOW! I have been away for a loooooong time! Actually I have been right here at St. Gabriel's keeping the faith and staying very busy! We have had an EXTREMELY busy year!

We grew in membership, and hosted some great events and fellowship. We have made many improvements to our beautiful church and grounds.

We have had guest priests and two Episcopal visits from our Bishop Jack Iker.

I should mention I will not be posting on here as much as I have in the past. We have launched a Facebook page and it is open to the public. It is the best way to keep up with the latest news and events at St. Gabriel's. You can find it here.... http://www.facebook.com/#!/StGabrielsChurch Or you can check out our Twitter account here... http://twitter.com/#!/StGabrielsAR

Below are some photos of recent events! Enjoy!

Blessings and love

John+

Great article by Bishop Iker!

2011-06-16T18:03:00.002-05:00

Address given at Forward in Faith/NA Assembly

June 16, 2011

The Authority of the Bible in Anglican Tradition

A few years ago, I was invited to be a guest speaker in the Lenten series of a church on the theme “The Four Cornerstones of the Church.” Their chosen topics were the Holy Scriptures, the Book of Common Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and Personal Holiness – all very important, worthy subjects for a study series for Lent. As the first speaker, whose topic was the Bible, I began by pointing out that this was much more than simply one of the four cornerstones of the Church – that all three of the others came from the Holy Scriptures and were, in fact, rooted in the teachings of the Bible. The real significance of the Book of Common Prayer is that it is a thoroughly Biblical document. So much of it sounds like the Bible because it is taken from the Bible. The Ten Commandments are, of course, a central part of the Holy Scriptures, and Personal Holiness has as its source and inspiration and vision, the teachings of the Old and New Testaments. The Holy Scriptures are the foundation upon which the other three are built.

The theme of the teachings in this Annual Assembly reminds us that this is what Forward in Faith, North America, is all about. We have sometimes been criticized for being a one-issue organization, and that is true. But the one issue we are most concerned about is not so much the controversy over the ordination of women as it is the authority of the Scriptures. We are committed to the central authority of the Bible as the Word of God. It alone is the basis for all that we teach, believe, preach and practice. Ours is not a man-made religion, nor are we free to revise the doctrines revealed to us by God to be more pleasing to the modern age. Dean Inge of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London once observed, “He who marries the spirit of the age will soon find himself a widower.”

In the Anglican tradition, the Holy Bible is revered as central to God’s self-revelation to the world. It is the divinely inspired, revealed Word of God, unchanged from the time of the first Apostles. It expresses the unchanging Gospel of the Lord Jesus for ever-changing times – for, though times may change, the Truth does not. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings.” (Hebrews 13:8) Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, tells us, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”(John 14:6) When certain bishops deny these words, they are no longer true guardians and defenders of the faith, unity and discipline of the Church, as held by Anglicans around the world. Those who abandon the teachings of the Bible also abandon the Anglican way. Such innovators are free to start a new church, but do not call it Anglican if it does not abide by the clear standards and teachings revealed in Holy Writ.

While being clear that the Bible is basic and fundamental to all that Forward in Faith stands for, that it is the foundation upon which everything stands, we must hasten to add that our faith is not in the Bible, but in Jesus Christ. We believe the Bible, because it is the Written Word that bears witness to the Incarnate Word. We are saved by our faith in Jesus, not the Scriptures. So while we affirm that Anglicanism rests on a firm Biblical foundation, we confess that Jesus Christ Himself is that one foundation upon which the Church of God is built. As St. Paul reminded the Church in Corinth, “No other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I Cor. 3:11) Historic, orthodox Anglicanism is built upon nothing less than the sure foundation of Jesus Christ, and everything else rests upon Him. In his Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul states it in a slightly different way: “You are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” (Ephesians 2:20)

Whenever we speak about the authority of the Bible in the Anglican Tradition, the conversation soon turns to references to Richard Hooker, the famous 16th-century Anglican divine, who is perhaps the most accomplished apologist that Anglicanism has ever had. As an advocate of the Elizabethan Settlement of 1559, he opposed the Puritans “who held to the literal following of the Scriptures as an absolute in the sense that whatever was not expressly commanded in Scripture was unlawful.” (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church on Richard Hooker, page 654) Most of us remember him for the famous image of a three-legged stool, in describing how Anglicans address the issue of authority in the Church, using Scripture, Tradition and Reason. The problem is that in the common misunderstanding of this concept, the three legs are all equal in importance. This is an error and is not how Hooker regarded them. First and foremost there is the authority of the Bible and the clear meaning of the Scriptures. Second there is Tradition, the Spirit-formed Apostolic Tradition of the Church – the Holy Tradition of the Church of the ages – not just the traditional way that we have always done things, but the mind of Christ as understood and applied by the catholic church. And then third, there is Reason, formed and molded by Scripture and Tradition, guided by the Holy Spirit, as we address contemporary issues from the vantage point of what we have received in the faith once delivered to the saints. But, for Hooker, Scripture is always primary. It is the Bible that establishes the norm in theology, ecclesiology, and morality in the Apostolic Tradition.

Modern day revisionists like to add a fourth leg to the stool, which, of course, is Experience. And as we all know, in this line of thinking, contemporary experience trumps everything else. It is our understanding of contemporary experience that determines what is true and right for today’s Church – the kind of thinking that says “that was then and this is now.” We simply have different interpretations of the Bible, they say, and our understanding of the Scriptures must always be open to new insights as we accommodate out of date teachings to our modern day experiences. This is the kind of world view that is rampant in the General Conventions of the Episcopal Church, as you well know. The truth of the matter is that rather than simply having different interpretations of certain key Biblical passages, revisionists reject these teachings, while orthodox believers submit to them. It is the Bible that stands in judgment of our opinions and experiences, not the other way around.

The Articles of Religion are another obvious place we must look to evaluate how classical Anglicans regard Biblical authority. Article VI, for example, states: “Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.” Article XX, speaking of the Authority of the Church, declares: “The Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and authority in Controversies of Faith: and yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God’s Word written, neither may it so expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another.” For the Church must “be a witness and a keeper of Holy Writ.”

This same emphasis is further underscored in the provisions of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral. First adopted by the House of Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America gathered in Chicago in 1886 as a basis for what is “essential to the restoration of unity among the divided branches of Christendom,” it was later adopted by the Lambeth Conference in 1888. Above all else the Quadrilateral affirms “The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as ‘containing all things necessary to salvation,’ and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith.” Note that the three additional points in the Quadrilateral are all derived from the Scriptures and are thoroughly Biblical in origin: the Apostles and Nicene Creeds, “as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith”; “the two Sacraments ordained by Christ Himself”; and the Historic Episcopate, after the example of Christ and His Apostles.

It is because of this continuing emphasis on the authority of the Holy Bible that candidates for Holy Orders in our Church must solemnly affirm and then sign this Declaration before the Bishop and congregation: “I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation.” Immediately following the laying on of hands at ordinations, the Bishop gives the newly-ordained priest a Bible, as a symbol of the ordinand’s divine authorization and commissioning, saying: “Receive this Bible as a sign of the authority given you to preach the Word of God and to administer his holy Sacraments. Do not forget the trust committed to you as a priest of the Church of God.” It signifies both the ministry of the Word in preaching and teaching, as well as the sacramental ministry of the ordained clergy.

We must also note, however, that in Anglicanism the Bible is central not only to the ministry and teaching of the clergy, but indeed it is fundamental and central to the life of every baptized member of the Church. Remember that wonderful Prayer Book Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent: “Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ.” To be rooted and grounded in the Scriptures is the calling of all Anglicans, not just the clergy.

Not only do we affirm that the Bible is our ultimate authority in Christian faith and morals, but it is meant to be our daily guide and companion in Christian living. For all Anglicans, daily Bible readings are provided in the Prayer Book lectionary. A Psalm selection, an Old Testament reading, and a new Testament reading are designated for Daily Morning Prayer and again for Daily Evening Prayer, throughout the year. We are fed by this daily diet of God’s Word. We are drawn to the Bible as our daily bread and sustained by it, as God’s Living Word directing our service and discipleship, by divine inspiration. As St. Paul reminds us in II Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” If we neglect daily Scripture, we do so at the peril of our spiritual health and vitality.

It is for this reason that early English reformers sought to have the Bible translated into the language of the people. It was God’s Word to all His Children, not just to the clergy and to the monastics. Efforts to translate the Scriptures into English were motivated by a desire to make the Bible available to common people for reading and study and began as early as the 14th century with the work of John Wycliffe. In 1523, William Tyndale began a translation of the books of the New Testament, and in 1534, the Canterbury Convocation of clergy petitioned King Henry VIII to have the entire Bible translated into English. Miles Coverdale successfully published one the next year, in 1535, and dedicated it to Henry VIII. It is significant to note that his Psalter remained in constant use in the Book of Common Prayer until modern day revisions of the 20th century. Though there were attempts at various other translations over the years, it must be said that the real crowning event in work on an English Bible took place in 1611 with the publication of what was called the Authorized Version, approved by King James I, and therefore known as the King James Version of the Bible (or as some of us may prefer, “The St. James Version.” How does that saying go, “If it was good enough for Jesus then its good enough for me!”) It is this Bible that became the standard, indeed the only known English Bible, for generations, and is now celebrating its 400th anniversary of continuous use. It is a lasting contribution of Anglicanism to the whole English-speaking world.

Like countless others before us, in reading the Bible we discover that it is the Book with the Presence in it, where we meet the Living God in the pages of the Old and New Testaments. God continues to speak to us still today, as He has in every age, as men and women pray and reflect on the Biblical story. It is called the Holy Bible, and it has been revered for centuries. For in these sacred pages, we encounter the Living God, who seeks to enter into relationship with us. It is a book about God, and it is a book about ourselves.

Again and again, the Bible has re-created and re-formed the Church in times of crisis. Again and again, people have heard God speak to them and been brought to faith by Scripture touching them personally. Here as nowhere else, we discover God’s will for our lives and find inspiration and guidance in our earthly pilgrimage. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to speak to us, to strengthen us, and to guide us. For as Hebrews 4:12 says: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

In a book by Bishop Michael Marshall entitled A Change of Heart, he writes about the power of the Bible to transform and change people’s lives. In quoting Benjamin Jowett, Professor of Greek at Oxford in the 1850s, who said that the Bible should be read like any other book, Marshall says: “The extraordinary thing about the Bible is that if you ‘treat it like any other book,’ you will find that it is not like any other book. It is a living book, a charismatic book, a book of presence and power. Men and women throughout the ages have opened up on the words of this book and met the living Word in a personal encounter which changed their lives.” (p. 128)

He then recalls the famous story of the conversion of St. Antony of Egypt, who upon hearing the Gospel being read in church one day, heard Jesus speaking directly to him, saying: “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”(St. Matthew 19:21) And immediately, Antony gave away all his possessions and went out into the desert to live a strict life of asceticism.

In a similar way, St. Augustine of Hippo on a warm summer day in the year 386, heard what sounded like the voice of a child in a nearby garden saying: “tolle, lege – pick it up and read it.” So he picked up a Bible and read from the Epistle to the Romans: “Let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:13-14) Bishop Marshall writes: “Like a flash all his intellectual wrangling and moral ambivalence were behind him. The living Word of God changed his life.” (page 129) He was baptized and became a devoted Christian believer, and later a bishop, theologian, doctor of the church, and saint.

We could go on and on with countless other stories of conversion and coming to faith where the Bible played a key role. You have your story and I have mine. But what they have in common is coming to know God face to face, in the person of Jesus Christ His Son, as the Spirit of God speaks to us by the Word of God, and we are transformed by His love, power and grace. “It is not a magic book or an end in itself,” observes Marshall (page 129); “rather it is a wonderful means of grace, pointing us again and again from the words to the Word with a living word of comfort, strength, challenge and confrontation if only we have ‘ears to hear’ and ‘eyes to see.’” (Matthew 11:15)

Let us conclude with these stirring words of a great Anglican missionary hymn, that speaks to the power of God’s Word in our tradition:

Spread, o spread, thou mighty word, spread the kingdom of the Lord,
that to earth’s remotest bound all may heed the joyful sound;

word of how the Father’s will made the world, and keeps it, still;
how his only Son he gave, earth from sin and death to save;

word of how the Savior’s love, earth’s sore burden doth remove;
how forever, in its need, through his death the world is freed;

word of how the Spirit came bringing peace in Jesus’ name;
how his never failing love, guides us on to heaven above;

word of life, most pure and strong, word for which the nations long,
spread abroad, until from night, all the word awakes to light. (Hymnal 1982, Hymn 530)

The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker
Bishop of Fort Worth

Great review of St. Gabriel's on Hotrodanglican Blog!

2011-04-12T12:56:00.008-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

On Rose Sunday we had a great visit from the man himself Paul Erlandson AKA HotRodAnglican. He has a great Blog and I recommend everyone check it out! It was a joy getting to meet him and his wonderful family. He was very kind to write a review of his visit to St. Gabriel's on his Blog. You can read about it here..

http://hotrodanglican.blogspot.com/2011/04/our-visit-to-st-gabriels-anglican.html

Blessings and love,

Fr. John+

Wednesday Night Dinner, Evening Prayer & Bible Study

2011-03-22T15:45:00.004-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

Come join us every Wednesday at 6:30pm for Dinner, Evening Prayer and Bible study. We will begin with St. Paul's letter to the Romans using the study guide "Romans, encountering the Gospel's power by the Rev. John Stott"

Wednesday Night Bible Study
ROMANS
“Encountering the Gospel’s Power”
By the Rev. John Stott

1) Romans 1:1-17 “The Gospel’s Power”

2) Romans 1:18-32 “A Downward Spiral”

3) Romans 2:1-16 “God’s Fairness”

4) Romans 2:17-3:8 “Misplaced Confidence”

5) Romans 3:9-20 “Unholy Togetherness”

6) Romans 3:21-4:25 “Forgive Us Our Debts”

7) Romans 5:1-6:23 “Peace With God”

8) Romans 7:1-25 “Battling Sin”

9) Romans 8:1-17 “Rescued By God’s Spirit”

10) Romans 8:18-39 “Present Pain Future Glory”

11) Romans 9 “Understanding God’s Purposes”

12) Romans 10 “God’s Grief”

13) Romans 11 “A Deep-Rooted Tree”

14) Romans 12:1-8 “Getting Practical”

15) Romans 12:9-21 “Showing Love”

16) Romans 13 “Conscientious Citizenship”

17) Romans 14 “Living By Someone Else’s Rules”

18) Romans 15:1-13 “Unity, Liberty & Charity”

19) Romans 15:14-33 “Sharing The Mission”

20) Romans 16 “Keeping Friends”

Read the Chapter and Verses outlined above. We will discuss them following Evening Prayer on Wednesday nights.

Blessings and Love,

Fr. John+

More Baptisms!

2011-03-16T17:32:00.004-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

This Sunday St. Gabriel's was blessed to welcome two more beautiful little souls into the family of God. We had a great turn out. If you haven't visited us yet, you should! We are the best kept secret in NW Arkansas! =)

Blessings and Love

Fr. John+

Shrove Tuesday!

2011-03-08T22:12:00.006-06:00

Greetings in Christ!

Tonight we held our annual Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. We began with the Great Litany from the prayer book. Then moved downstairs to the undercroft for pancakes and fellowship. We had a good turn out and lots of fun! I wish to thank the Brotherhood of St. Andrew for cooking tonight! You guys are the best!!!

Blessings and love

Fr. John

Annual parish meeting & Baptism!

2011-01-16T23:25:00.009-06:00

Greetings in Christ,

Today we held our annual parish meeting. It was such a joy to look back over the past year and thank God for the many blessings he has showered upon our church family! We had record giving as well as record growth this year! The future looks so bright for St. Gabriel's I have to wear sunglasses!!! Below you will find photos of the events as well as the year in review video! We were also blessed to kick off the day with a baptism. Knox Yoes joined the family of God today. Way to go little buddy!!! =)

Blessings and love!
Fr. John+

Bishop Iker visits St. Gabriel's!

2011-01-09T16:52:00.014-06:00

Greetings in Christ!

Bishop Iker visited St. Gabriel's today. It was a glorious day!!! We are so blessed to have one of the most holy and respected bishops in the Anglican Communion as our shepherd!! GOD BLESS YOU BISHOP IKER!! =)

Blessings and Love!
Fr. John+

Benjamin Thomas Wiggy Baptism!

2010-12-28T13:42:00.006-06:00

Greetings in Christ!

It's always a great joy to bring a new soul to birth in Christ! Below are photos of St. Gabriel's newest (distance) member! =)

Blessings and Love!
Fr. John+

Lessons & Carols & Midnight Mass

2010-12-27T21:22:00.014-06:00

Greetings in Christ!

Been so busy with the holidays I haven't had time to post. We had a great turn out for the Christmas services. Three Services back to back to back plus a baptism was great but exhausting! Here are pictures of the events! =)

Blessings and Love!
Fr. John+

Arkansas Children's Shelter

2010-11-23T18:30:00.002-06:00

Greetings in Christ,

Today Sub-Deacon Josh Kellam and I dropped off the $1000 St. Gabriel's raised during our fall festival this year. The staff was kind enough to give us a tour of the facilities. It really gets to you! Seeing children the same age as my own without any family truly breaks your heart! I am so glad St. Gabriel's supports this wonderful organization. GOD BLESS THEM! GOD BLESS THE CHILDREN!

Visit to St. Andrew's Fort Worth

2010-11-16T11:58:00.016-06:00

Greetings!!

These are just a few photos of my visit to historic St. Andrew's in downtown Ft. Worth this past week.

ALPHA COURSE STARTS OCTOBER 27th!!

2010-10-21T16:49:00.003-05:00

Greetings in Christ,

The sign is up! Alpha Course starts October 27th at 6:30pm! And YES! There is MORE to life than this! Come down and find out what it is!

What Happens At Alpha?

The Alpha course usually lasts 10 weeks, with a day or weekend getaway in the middle. Courses vary in size, from one small group meeting in a home, to hundreds of people in a church. Some courses are held over morning coffee or during a lunch hour. Most are evening courses, typically lasting 2 hours.

Each gathering begins with a meal or refreshments - a chance to get to know others. Then there is a short talk which looks at a different aspect of the Christian faith each week. This is followed by a time of discussion in small groups, where everyone is welcome to contribute their opinion and ask questions. People usually stay in the same small groups for the duration of the course so they can get to know each other, continue discussions and deepen friendships. The emphasis is upon exploration and discovery in a relaxed and informal environment.

The talks each week cover the following topics, acting as a springboard for the small group discussions:

Introduction Dinner:
Is there more to life than this?

Week 1: Who is Jesus?
Week 2: Why did Jesus die?
Week 3: How can we have faith?
Week 4: Why and how do I pray?
Week 5: Why and how should I read the Bible?
Week 6: How does God guide us?
Week 7: How can I resist evil?
Week 8: Why & how should we tell others?
Week 9: Does God heal today?
Week 10: What about the Church?
Weekend: Who is the Holy Spirit?

What does the Holy Spirit do?
How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?
How can I make the most of the rest of my life?

Come on down for some great FOOD, great FELLOWSHIP, and great TIMES! FREE Childcare will be available every night!!! =)

See you there!

Blessings and love,
Fr. John+

New TV Ad on NBC and FOX

2010-10-18T12:05:00.001-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

Below you will find the all new TV ad for St. Gabriel's airing on NBC and FOX!

2010 St. Gabriel's Fall Festival

2010-10-17T19:08:00.026-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

On Saturday October 16th we held our 2010 Fall Festival to raise money for the NW Arkansas Children's Shelter. We had such a great time! We had a live Christian band, games, prizes, food and fellowship! Next year please stop by and join us! I want to thank ALL the generous souls the pitched in to make this happen! May our Lord richly reward you for your love and service in his kingdom!

Blessings and love
Fr. John+

Franciscans visit St. Gabriel's!!!!

2010-10-10T19:17:00.009-05:00

Greetings in Christ,

This weekend I was able to spend some time with my dear brother in Christ Fr Greg Mashburn. Fr Greg is the Father General for the ACNA Franciscan missionaries of divine compassion. He is one of the most holy priests I have ever had the good fortune to meet and I am very blessed for his friendship in the Gospel! Below are pics! Enjoy!

blessings and love,
Fr. John+

St. Francis day blessing of the pets!

2010-10-04T19:43:00.015-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

Below you will find some photos of our annual blessing of the pets!

Enjoy!!

May the Lord give you his peace!

Fr. John+

Clergy Day!

2010-09-22T16:21:00.011-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

On Monday I traveled to Fort Worth to participate in our day for clergy. It was such a joy as always to fellowship and pray with my brother priests! We had as our speaker Archbishop Robert Duncan Primate of the Anglican Church in North America as well as Archbishop Mouneer Anis Archbishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. It was a very interesting talk and I came away with much insight concerning the Anglican church in these difficult times. I am very grateful for Archbishop Duncan. He is a very holy man and careing Bishop. I for one am very proud he is our Archbishop! I was blessed to speak to him one on one both at the Clergy day meeting and later on that night at the banquet in honor of the Anglican relief and development fund (ARDF). At that event I also was able to meet with Archbishop Justice Akrofi of Africa and Archbishop John Chew of Singapore! I was truly humbled to stand in the presence of such global Anglican giants! And of course I got to visit with Bishop Iker my own Bishop and that is always such a blessing! Below are photos of the events! Enjoy!!!!

Ninian of Galloway, Bishop Missionary To Scotland

2010-09-16T09:43:00.004-05:00

(From the Anglican Calendar)

Ninian is also called Nynia, Ninias, Rigna, Trignan, Ninnidh, Ringan, Ninus, or Dinan. He was a Celt, born in southern Scotland in about 360, and is regarded as the first major preacher of the Gospel to the people living in Britain north of the Wall--that is, living outside the territory that had been under Roman rule. He is said to have studied in Rome (note that he is contemporary with Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine), but was chiefly influenced by his friendship with Martin of Tours, with whom he spent some considerable time when he was returning from Italy to Britain. It is probable that he named his headquarters in Galloway after Martin's foundation in Gall. Martin had a monastery known as Loco Teiac, a Latinized form of the Celtic Leug Tigiac. Leug means "white, shining," and Tig means "house" (a shanty, or Shan-tig, is an old house). The suffix -Ac means "little." Thus, Martin's monastery had a name which in Celtic means "little white house." At about the time of Martin's death in 397, Ninian built a church at Galloway, in southwest Scotland. It was built of stone and plastered white, an unusual construction in a land where almost all buildings were wood. He called it Candida Casa (White House) or Whithorn, presumably after Martin's foundation at Tours. Archaeologists have excavated and partially restored his church in this century. From his base at Galloway, Ninian preached throughout southern Scotland, south of the Grampian Mountains, and conducted preaching missions among the Picts of Scotland, as far north as the Moray Firth, He also preached in the Solway Plains and the Lake District of England. Like Patrick (a generation later) and Columba (a century and a half later), he was a principal agent in preserving the tradition of the old Romano-British Church and forming the character of Celtic Christianity. Some historians think that the number and extent of his conversions has been exaggerated, but throughout southern Scotland there are many and widespread churches that bear his name, and have traditionally been assumed to be congregations originally founded by him.

Our information about him comes chiefly from Bede's History (Book 3, chapter 4), an anonymous eighth century account, and a 12th century account by Aelred. Aelred is writing 700 years after the event, and is for that reason rejected as untrustworthy by many critics. However, he claims to rely on an earlier account, "written by a barbarian." This suggests that he may have had an authentic record by a member of Ninian's community in Galloway.

See The Christian Island, by Beram Saklatvala (J M Dent, London, 1969), plus standard references.

PRAYER
O God, who by the preaching of thy blessed servant and bishop Ninian didst cause the light of the Gospel to shine in the land of Britain: Grant, we beseech thee, that, having his life and labors in remembrance, we may show forth our thankfulness by following the example of his zeal and patience; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

St. Cyprian Bishop and Martyr of Carthage, 258

2010-09-14T00:23:00.002-05:00

Cyprian was a wealthy aristocrat and a cultivated rhetorician from North Africa. He converted to Christianity around AD 246, and by 248, he was chosen Bishop of Carthage. A year later under the persecution of Emperor Decius, Cyprian went into hiding. During his absence, he corresonded with his Church and directed it with wisdom and compassion.

Regarding the matter of what to do with those whose faith had lapsed during the persecution, Cyprian held that they could be reconciled to the Church after suitable periods of penance; the gravity of the lapse determining the length of the penance. His moderate position at the time was one that prevailed in the Church over that of the rigorist Novatian, who led a group into schism at Rome and Antioch over this very question.

During another persecution of Christians, this time under the Emperor Valerian, Cyprian was placed under house arrest in Carthage. On September 14, AD 258, he was beheaded.

Many of Cyprian’s writings have been preserved. His letter No. 63 contains one of the earliest affirmations that a priest, in offering the Eucharist (“the sacrifice”), acts in the place of Christ, imitating his actions.

In his treatise, “On the Lord’s Prayer,” he wrote: “We say ‘Hallowed be thy Name,’ not that we want God to be made holy by our prayers, but because we seek from the Lord that his Name may be made holy in us, … so that we who have been made holy in Baptism may persevere in what we have begun to be.”

Although there is some question whether his book, “On the Unity of the Catholic Church,” affirms papal primacy, there is no question about the clarity of his statements on the unity of the college of bishops and the sin of schism. “The episcopate is a single whole,” he wrote, “in which each bishop’s share gives him a right to, and a responsibility for, the whole. So is the Church a single whole, though she spreads far and wide into a multitude of Churches… If you leave the Church of Christ you will not come to Christ’s rewards, you will be an alien, an outcast, an enemy. You cannot have God for your Father unless you have the Church for your Mother.”

adapted from Lesser Feasts and Fasts
Church Hymnal Corporation: New York, 1988

Alexander Crummell Priest, Missionary, Educator (10 September 1898)

2010-09-10T10:58:00.002-05:00

Alexander Crummell was born in New York City in 1819, and wished to study for the priesthood, but received many rebuffs because he was black. He was ordained in the Diocese of Massachusets in 1844, when he was 25 years old, but was excluded from a meeting of priests of the diocese, and decided to go to England. After graduating from Cambridge, he went to Liberia, an African country founded under American auspices for the repatriation of freed slaves. Crummell hoped to see established in Liberia a black Christian republic, combining the best of European and African culture, and led by a Western-educated black bishop. He visited the United States and urged blacks to join him in Liberia and and swell the ranks of the church there. His work in Liberia ran into opposition and indifference, and he returned to the United States, where he undertook the founding and strengthening of urban black congregations that would provide worship, education, and social services for their communities. When some bishops proposed a separate missionary district for black parishes, he organized a group, now known as the Union of Black Episcopalians, to fight the proposal.

by James Kiefer

PRAYER
Almighty and everlasting God, we thank thee for thy servant Alexander Crummell, whom thou didst call to preach the Gospel to those who were far off and to those who were near. Raise up, we beseech thee, in this and every land evangelists and heralds of thy kingdom, that thy Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Constance and Her Companions, the Martyrs of Memphis. 9 September 1878

2010-09-09T16:45:00.002-05:00

In 1878 the American city of Memphis on the Mississippi River was struck by an epidemic of yellow fever, which so depopulated the area that the city lost its charter and was not reorganized for fourteen years. Almost everyone who could afford to do so left the city and fled to higher ground away from the river. (It was not yet known that the disease was mosquito-borne, but it was observed that high and dry areas were safe.) There were in the city several communities of nuns, Anglican or Roman Catholic, who had the opportunity of leaving, but chose to stay and nurse the sick. Most of them, thirty-eight in all, were themselves killed by the fever. One of the first to die (on 9 September 1878) was Constance, head of the (Anglican) Community of St Mary.

PRAYER
We give thee thanks and praise, O God of compassion, for the Heroic witness of Constance and her companions, who, in a time of plague and pestilence, were steadfast in their care for the sick and the dying, and loved not their own lives, even unto death. Inspire in us a like love and commitment to those in need, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever.

Forward In Mission - Wise County team takes "blueprint" to Springdale

2010-09-04T17:44:00.001-05:00

Click on the article for a larger view

My recent visit to Fort Worth

2010-09-03T13:48:00.017-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

I just got back from a three day tour of my home diocese of Fort Worth Texas! Lots of meetings lots of fun and fellowship! Got to meet with my bishop and celebrate mass with him in his chapel! I was also given the privilege to supply at holy comforter church. A parish founded in the 1800s! It was a very enjoyable time. Below as usual are photos of the events! Enjoy!!

Blessings and love!

Fr. John+

Bishop Wantland visit

2010-08-29T13:25:00.018-05:00

Greetings in Christ! Below you will find photos of our recent visit from Bishop Wantland. This man is a LION of the faith and we were so blessed to have him and his lovely wife with us to preform confirmations as well as to install the chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. Once again St. Gabriel's broke a new record with well over 100 souls in attendance! GOOO St. GABRIEL'S!!!

Blessings and love!

Fr. John+

Forward in Christ article!

2010-08-17T16:36:00.002-05:00

Greetings in Christ!!

Below is an article I wrote that appeared in the last issue of Forward in Christ. The national Anglo-Catholic magazine for Forward in faith. I hope you enjoy!

Our Journey to Fort Worth

Our journey as a parish has not been an easy one, but it has been a fruitful one, so it is my wish that other like-minded Anglicans learn from our story. I am the thirty-four year old Rector of St. Gabriel's Anglican Church in Northwest Arkansas. It was founded close to thirty years ago as part of the continuing church movement that grew out of the Affirmation of St. Louis and the Denver Consecrations. For the most part, St. Gabriel's operated under the radar, not really shaking things up and it did a good job of providing solid, traditional Anglican worship according to the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. For quite some time now, the Episcopal Church in Arkansas has been extremely progressive and in recent years has stepped well beyond the agenda of revisionist Bishops and the Ordination of Women to totally embracing the homosexual lifestyle as well as abortion. It is not uncommon to find the blessings of same-sex unions occurring monthly at local Episcopal parishes. So St. Gabriel's provided a very needed shelter from a very raging progressive storm.

Over the years we not only found disgruntled Episcopalians knocking on our door, but the entire rainbow of Christian denominations sought us out looking for a good solid orthodox church home. Oddly enough, although three devoted Episcopalian families founded the church, the majority of the parish was made up of non-Episcopalians! That had always perplexed me, until now. Last year the parish decided to break from its continuing church roots and cast out into the deep, in faith that Our Lord would guide our parish where He wanted it to be. As providence would have it, this was around the same time of the launching of the ACNA in Bedford, Texas. I was asked to go observe and report back my findings. I was extremely confused, to say the least! What I witnessed was every shade of Anglican that exists under the sun: high church, low church, Evangelical, Anglo-Catholic, African Primates, old school traditionalists like the REC and new blended models like the AMiA!, 1928BCPAnglicans, and 1979BCP Anglicans! For the most part, they were all happy to be there! Seeing Anglicans representing different forms of churchmanship and different parts of the globe really brought home to me the truth that we profess in the creed each and every Sunday, "I believe in One Catholic and Apostolic Church". Seeing representatives from the Roman Church and The Orthodox Church in America just hammered this home all the more. These Christians were not in Bedford that day because of a Prayer Book or churchmanship! They were there standing up for a common cause: the preservation of our Orthodox Christian heritage. In light of that, all of the arguments I have heard over the years concerning why we were separated from the Episcopal Church dwindled to nothing! Meeting my African brothers and hearing the stories of how they are often persecuted for their faith, and speaking to my brothers in Fort Worth about their ongoing lawsuits and the uncertainty of their future really showed me and my congregation what was truly important. Most importantly, I was struck with the overwhelming reality that to remain part of the continuing church and not be part of this new movement, was to not be part of Anglicanism.

For us at St. Gabriel's, the Diocese of Fort Worth and Bishop Jack Iker were a perfect fit. They have always been known as strict defenders of the faith, and Bishop Iker's leadership and pastoral care, in my opinion, is without equal in the world today. Myself and my parish are forever grateful for the guidance he and all his staff have given us during our journey. We have since been formally received into the Diocese of Fort Worth as a Mission Station and since that time the graces have just continued to flow! What has surprised me the most has been the steady stream of people coming through our door from the Episcopal Church! Surely they must have heard of us before? After all, we have been in town for thirty years! But when I inquired as to why they just now decided to leave TEC, I heard the same overwhelming response: "We were waiting for you to become Episcopalians!" It appears that to many in TEC, the continuum has always been viewed as something less than legit. It has often been known more for its multiplication of purple shirts and ongoing schisms. The saying is true that "schism breeds schism" and I have always held that feeling myself to greater and lesser degrees over the years, but it did not hit home how true this was until I went to St. Vincent's Cathedral in Bedford that June day! Speaking for myself, and I am sure for many priests like me who chose the continuum, we made the choice to go that route because there was no other option available to us at that time. It was either cast our lot with the progressives in TEC or wait it out with the Continuum and hope for some sort of unity. But now that the doors are open and the unity we have prayed for so long now exists, my question is why wait? I am aware that the ACNA does not solve all of our problems as Anglicans in this country, but it does deal with more of them than any other system around today! With the multiple options within ACNA such as FiFNa, REC, Fort Worth, Quincy, Pittsburg, and San Joaquin, you can join us in our mission and still retain you solid Anglo-Catholic heritage and prayer books. Surely a continuing churchman and his parish can find some refuge? For St. Gabriel's, coming into the Diocese of Fort Worth was an answer to our prayers! As my then Senior Warden put it, "This was something thirty years in the making!" And we have not looked back since! As a matter of fact, we have flourished! New families are constantly joining! We went from an ASA of about 20 to 25 to our current ASA of 75 to 80s in less than a year! And most importantly, all that bickering that existed in the past has simply vanished! Like I tell my Continuing Church brothers - On Monday we were a continuing parish, we had the 1928 Prayer book, 1940 hymnal, and a male priest. The next day we were part of the Diocese of Fort Worth, we used the 1928 Prayer book, the 1940 Hymnal, and I was still, last time I checked, a male priest! What Changed? What changed was we went from a church in union with no one, to a church in union with over 800 other parishes in the ACNA and the majority of Anglicans worldwide! That may not mean much to some Anglicans, but it means the world to us.

Our Lord prayed that we all be one. With that vision in sharp focus, we have bound together as a church should - as the family of God - and with the help of our new diocesan family and new shepherd, we march forward in Christ to what lays ahead. We finally understand that although our personal preferences are important, they are not ALL that matters in the Christian life. There are greater truths that need to be upheld and protected. In this modern day, we are all called to a much larger battlefield and we cannot fight this war nor accomplish this mission alone. It takes the WHOLE Body of Christ universal to accomplish this. Most importantly, we realize that in the end when all is said and done, and the Prayer books are put back in their pews, and the incense has faded and the candles have been reverently extinguished, it was never about us in the first place. It has always been about Christ and His Church.

Blessings and love!
Fr. John+

R.I.P. Dr. Dick Johanson

2010-07-23T09:31:00.012-05:00

Last night we held a memorial service for our dear Dr. Dick Johanson. The man was truly a remarkable person. The type you only meet once in a lifetime! St. Gabriel's had its largest attendance in it's over 20 year history with well over 250 people showing up to pay their respects. Below are photos of the event.

Eternal rest grant unto him Lord!

Ascension & St. Mark mission trip to St. Gabriel's

2010-06-21T00:14:00.007-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

The good people of Ascension & St. Mark's and their Vicar Fr. DeWayne spent the past week helping our parish with some much needed repairs and organization. The men did construction around the church and the woman helped out with our altar guild. The transformation was truly breath taking! At night we held worship services and were trained on how to be a more productive mission. We held a High Mass / Pot luck on Wednesday night (photos below) as well as took a trip to Eureka springs for some leisure and fellowship. I can honestly say I have never had a better time working with visitors than this week! The entire parish continues to tell me how much they miss them already. I look forward to when we can visit our sister mission in Fort Worth some time soon!

May the Lord grant you His peace!

Fr. John+

Brotherhood of St. Andrew ALIVE AND WELL!!

2010-06-12T11:47:00.004-05:00

Greetings in Christ!!

Here is a photo of our new Brotherhood of St. Andrew chapter. Some men are missing from the photo. Its hard to get everyone together for a group shot! Enjoy!!

If your interested in joining the Brotherhood drop me an E-mail!

May the Lord give you His peace!
Fr. John+

Bloodmoney

2010-04-27T16:43:00.003-05:00

This is the trailer for the upcoming independent film Bloodmoney. Looks very interesting!

Go see it!

God bless!

Fr. John+

The Brotherhood of St. Andrew comes to St Gabriel's

2010-04-22T18:39:00.005-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

St. Gabriel's has been invited to start a chapter of the fraternal society The Brotherhood of St. Andrew. I am very excited about this having been a fan of this society for years! The Brotherhood truly helps the average Anglican reach his God given potential! Its a great way for the men of the parish to bond in solidarity and prayer for the greater glory of God. Below are some facts about the society...

WHAT WE ARE ABOUT
Personal spiritual growth, mutual ministry, and Christian service.

WHAT WE BELIEVE
The saving grace of Jesus Christ through the Cross, the authority of Holy Scripture, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship of all believers.

VISION STATEMENT
Our vision strives to develop and equip men and boys for faithful discipleship to effect changed lives throughout the world for the greater glory of God.

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew is to disciple men and boys unto a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through the lifelong disciplines of daily prayer, regular study and committed service.

MEMBERSHIP
Members are called Brothers Andrew and are required to accept and observe the Brotherhood disciplines of Prayer, Study and Service. Brotherhood chapters usually meet once or twice per month in Episcopal and Anglican churches. A portion of each meeting is devoted to each of the disciplines of Prayer, Study and Service.

Any baptized Christian man may be a member of The Brotherhood of St. Andrew. However, only men who are confirmed in an Anglican or Episcopal church or a church in communion with the Anglican or Episcopal Church may become a chapter, regional or national officer in the Brotherhood.

DISCIPLINES OF PRAYER, STUDY AND SERVICE

Discipline of Prayer
To pray daily for the spread of Christ's kingdom, especially among men and youth, and for God's blessings upon the labors of the Brotherhood.

Discipline of Study
To study the Holy Scriptures regularly and the teachings of the Church, to attain a better understanding of how to follow Christ and bring others into his kingdom.

Discipline of Service
To make continuous efforts, week by week, to bring others nearer to Christ through his Church.

As you can see there is so much the Brotherhood has to offer! You can click this link for more information http://www.brotherhoodofstandrew.org Will you consider joining us at St. Gabriel's? Contact me for more details!

May the Lord give you his peace!
Fr. John+

Bishop Iker's Chrism Mass Sermon

2010-04-20T22:35:00.003-05:00

March 30, 2010 • St. Vincent’s Cathedral Church, Bedford

Below is a link to the sermon delivered by Bishop Iker at the annual Chrism Mass. This man of God speaks so powerfully! I am truly grateful I am under his spiritual care!

God bless you Bishop!

http://www.fwepiscopal.org/audio/chrism%20mass%20sermon%202010%20copy.mp3

EASTER VIGIL + EASTER SUNDAY + EASTER EGG HUNT!

2010-04-04T15:35:00.021-05:00

Greetings in Christ our RISEN LORD!!

Below are photos of our Easter celebration! Enjoy!!

God bless you all!

Fr. John+

Maundy Thursday & Good Friday

2010-04-02T19:25:00.020-05:00

Greetings In Christ!

I apologize for not having much to say today. Earlier today my two year old daughter fell and split her forehead open down to the skull! I had to rush her to the ER by ambulance. This would of been bad enough had it not been less than a week ago that I had to rush her to the ER with respiratory distress brought on by croup! It has been a theme of mine to always preach on how Christ suffers in us. I preached on that topic today. I also preached on how difficult it must of been for Our blessed Lady, Mary the mother of Jesus to stand by and watch her child suffer. Today on this good Friday I got to experience both these emotions. I can really use some Easter Joy! I am glad to report that my daughter Gianna seems to be doing fine. I thank you all for your prayers. Below are some photos from Holy Week!

Enjoy!

May the Lord grant you His peace!
Fr. John+

PALM SUNDAY! HOLY WEEK IS HERE!!

2010-03-29T19:23:00.010-05:00

Greetings in Christ!

Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday! It was a glorious Mass and we had a wonderful turnout! My only wish is that the weather was nicer. Due to the lousy weather we had to hold the blessing of the Palms indoors but that's OK! All 79 in attendance took their palm branches to the narthex and we all processed in anyway! Nothing can stop the members of St Gabe's from worshiping our Lord in full splendor! Nope, not even rain and freezing weather! GOOOO St. Gabriel's!!

Blessing the palms

Great turn out!

Deacon Ed Knox proclaiming the Gospel!

Preaching the word

Do this in remembrance of ME!

Fiddlebacks!! Keeping it old school!

Gotta love the incense!

May God grant you his peace!

Fr. John+

Holy Week!

2010-03-23T14:23:00.003-05:00

Holy week is less than a week away!! The Sign is up, everything is prepared! No excuses come out and worship with us at St. Gabriel's!

God Bless!

Fr. John+

Marge Parkhurst Rest In Peace +

2010-03-23T13:59:00.005-05:00

Last week it was my privilege to put to rest one of my most beloved sheep, my dear Marge Parkhurst. She and her husband John truly epitomized what it means to be a follower of our Lord. They both made such a dramatic impact on my life and I will never forget them. If I have one memory that stands out beyond all others it is her devotion to the divine office! Neither her nor her husband ever missed one day of morning or evening prayer. If only us priests were so dedicated to the office! Because of her example I can never pray the office again without thinking of her. The funeral was held at Hillspeak. I presided with the assistance of Deacon Ed Knox. The most touching moment was when a bagpiper ascended the hill playing amazing grace! There was not a dry eye at that grave! The funeral was attended by so many people, and although she did not have any biological children those in attendance gave witness to the fact that over the years she certainly birthed many spiritual children! The world has lost a great saint! But I am sure she and her husband John are looking down on us interceding before the throne for us all! Marge you will be missed!

God bless!

Fr. John+

From the Bishop

2010-02-18T16:35:00.001-06:00

From the Bishop
Repentance and forgiveness

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner!’ (Luke 18:11-13)

Lent is a penitential season of fasting, prayer and self-denial. Our emphasis for these next forty days will be upon repentance and forgiveness. We are called to recognize and confess our sins, to ask God’s forgiveness and mercy, and to pray for grace to amend our lives according to His will. It means being changed by a daily pattern of repentance, forgiveness and amendment of life.

In our Lord’s parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14) Jesus contrasts two very different spiritual attitudes in our relationship with God. The first is one of pride, self-righteousness, and superiority. The Pharisee reminds God that he is a good and pious man, better than others. The tax collector, on the other hand, knows he is a sinful man, undeserving of God’s forgiveness and love. In sadness and humility, he throws himself upon the mercy of the Lord. Jesus concludes with a central teaching that runs throughout the entire Bible: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (verse 14)

Lent is a time to grow in humility. First, it requires daily self-examination and confession, as we acknowledge our faults and failures before God. Second, it requires contrition, an expression of our sorrow for the things we have done and left undone. Then we resolve to do better, as we ask for God’s strength and help to amend our lives, and we offer ourselves as channels of His love and forgiveness in our interactions with others.

Several times a day throughout this Lent, make a habit of repeating an ancient prayer that comes to us from the Eastern Orthodox tradition; it is simply called the Jesus Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy upon me a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy upon me a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ ...

The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker
Bishop of Fort Worth

HEART FOR HAITI FUNDRAISER 2/5/10

2010-02-05T21:40:00.022-06:00

Greetings in Christ!

Tonight, St. Gabriel's hosted the Have a Heart for Haiti Fundraiser/ Ecumenical prayer service. It consisted of evening prayer followed by a potluck dinner. Fr. John Antony from St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, as well as Fr. John Atchison of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church joined me as we led the congregation in prayer for the victims in Haiti as well as prayed for greater Christian unity among our Churches. Below you will find a photo showing three very well known Christians praying in a similar fashion as us tonight!

SOME HISTORY........

John Paul II opens the Holy Door for the Jubileee year 2000 with Anglican Archbishop Carey and Eastern Orthodox Metropolitan Athanasios. Like us, all three churches were represented: Anglicans, Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholics.

GOD BLESS!!
Fr. John+

St. Gabriel's Anglican Church Year in Review

2010-01-11T16:47:00.002-06:00

St. Gabriel's Anglican Church Year In Review!

This is the video that aired at our annual parish meeting! We had the best year ever at St. Gabriel's in 2009! We gained over thirty new members and joined the Diocese of Fort Worth! Things are looking bright and beautiful! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

Untitled from John Slavin on Vimeo.

God bless!!
Fr. John+

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T14:56:00.007-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

This is going to be a short post! We got hit with a snow storm last night so not a big turn out for Midnight Mass. =( Oh well, better luck next year. But the Church looked beautiful! So I am posting pics to share with you. Also we completed our cry room for the kiddies! Now the parents can actually enjoy the service without having to worry about the children getting to loud. Praise God for all his blessings this year!!

See ya soon!

God Bless

Fr. John+

2010 ORDO CALENDARS!!

2009-12-18T14:27:00.005-06:00

Greetings in Christ,

St. Gabriel's 2010 Ordo Calendars go on sale this weekend! $7.00! And no, the cute kids are not included in the price! =)

God Bless!

Fr. John+

Gingerbread House Party Part 2!

2009-12-18T10:28:00.008-06:00

Greetings in Christ!

We did it!! St. Gabriel's had its FIRST Gingerbread house party! Thank you everybody for helping out and bringing the kiddies. It was such a hit we plan on doing it every year from now on. Check out the birdseed Gingerbread house created by the Kellams. WOW! Good job!! St. Francis would be so proud!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

God Bless!

Fr. John+

HOLIDAY FUN!

2009-12-14T23:47:00.003-06:00

Greetings in Christ!

Just thought I would post this for your enjoyment! Pam decided to have some holiday fun with the kids and make these ginger bread Churches. Do you recognize this church? YEP! It's our very own St. Gabriel's parish! The best part is the stain glass windows made from melted hard candy! Nice work Pam!! She's so creative! We will be making these with the kiddies of the parish this Wednesday night as the adults say evening prayer upstairs! Bring the kids for some Holiday fun!!

Blessed Advent!

Fr. John+

St. Nicholas Antiochian Celebration

2009-12-06T22:30:00.010-06:00

Greetings in Christ!

Tonight it was my great honor to be a clergy guest at the St. Nicholas Antiochian celebration! They were celebrating the opening of their new parish as well as their anual pastoral visit from Bishop Antoun. St. Nicholas parish is only blocks from my parish St. Gabriel's. We have worked closely with each other over the past year and a half organizing fundraisers and having fellowship together. Fr. John Atchison was elevated to Arch-Priest this Sunday by his Grace the Right Reverend Bishop Antoun! Below is a photo of the GORGEOUS Pectoral cross that was bestowed on him! My Canterbury Cross pales in comparison! Also below you will find a photo of me and Bishop Antoun he is an extremely Holy and Godly Bishop and I am grateful for having met with him. I also met with a wonderful OCA (Orthodox Church in America) Priest. We discussed His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah's talks about possible unity with the ACNA (Anglican Church in North America) as I have heard Metropolitan Jonah speak in Bedford Texas six months ago and was very impressed with his call for unity between our two groups. The love and respect I was show tonight was overwhelming and it makes me all the more grateful to be a Priest in the ACNA and especially a Priest in the Diocese of Ft. Worth. We have so much to look forward to as we work towards building the kingdom! My prayer is that Anglicans everywhere heed the call and come on board and join us! UNITY! This is what our Lord prayed for! May we soon all be ONE!

St. Nicholas Visits St. Gabriel's!

2009-11-29T18:20:00.006-06:00

Greetings World!

Today we had an Episcopal visit! Not for confirmations, but to stop by and hand out presents to all the children of the parish! St. Nicholas traveled all the way from Myra (and apparently across time and space) to give us his Christmas blessing. It was such a good time for the children. They just loved him! Below are some photos and a video of the event!

ADVENT SUNDAY 2009

2009-11-29T18:07:00.004-06:00

Greetings World!

Today we begin the first Sunday of the liturgical year. To celebrate this and to countdown the days until our Savior's birth, we light the first candle of the Advent wreath. In the Sundays that follow, we will light the remaining candles symbolizing the light of Christ growing brighter and brighter until it reaches its climax on Christmas Eve! Let us use this Advent season to prepare our hearts and minds for the upcoming Christmas season. Let us really enter into this season with humility and reverence, and let us be mindful of the needs of others who may not be celebrating the best Christmas of their lives due to sickness or job loss. Let us reach out to those around us with the love of Christ, remembering that this is the reason for the season - self giving! Christ gave up all he had for us. Let us remember this when we look at others this season.

ALPHA COURSE IS COMING!

2009-11-28T17:51:00.005-06:00

Greetings World!

ALPHA COURSE IS COMING TO ST. GABRIEL'S! The famous ten week course that's changed the world, will soon be offered at St. Gabriel's! Here are just some of the great things people are saying about Alpha Course;

"What Alpha offers, and what is attracting thousands of people, is permission, rare in secular culture, to discuss the big questions - life and death and their meaning."
(The Guardian, London)

"What distinguishes Alpha from other initiatives is the easy-going, relaxed feel of the proceedings - that, and its astonishing success."
(The Times, London)

"Many claim Alpha has changed their lives and appear genuinely happier for the experience."
(Time Magazine)

"Alpha is an unqualified triumph."
(The Daily Telegraph, London)

"Alpha makes Christianity relevant to modern life."
(The Express, London)

Interested? Contact me to sign up!
Until next time!
May our Lord give you His Peace!
Fr. John+

Turkey day fun!!

2009-11-27T19:11:00.005-06:00

Greetings World!

Here are some shots of our kiddies making pilgrim hat cookies just in time for Thanksgiving! I want to thank Steffi for all she does to make our Sunday School such a success!! The kids just adore her!

SANCTUARY COMPLETE!!!!!

2009-11-27T19:04:00.005-06:00

Greetings World!

It's finally DONE! We have finished the renovations on the new Sanctuary! We changed the paint color on the back wall from yellow to a more toned down gold and added the molding around the icons and borders. It was a huge hit!! Just in time for Advent!! The Chapel remodel is also complete and I will be posting pictures of that as well! Your comments as always are most welcome!

St Gabriels Commissions Altar Server!!!

2009-11-27T18:52:00.012-06:00

Greetings world!

Well it's been a while since I posted something on here. I have been swamped at the parish! Last week we commissioned our senior Altar Server William Moore! It was a beautiful ceremony. Below are pictures of the event!

St. Gabriels Joins the Diocese of Fort Worth Texas!

2009-11-09T13:11:00.021-06:00

Greetings World!

On Saturday November 7th St. Gabriels formally joined the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth Texas! We processed in with our parish banner while the entire convention stood up and burst into applause! We were granted seat and voice and are now a missionary station of the Diocese. It was a very emotional moment for all involved. I am so grateful to Bishop Iker for his wonderful pastoral care and for all the help he has given us in making this dream a reality. It feels so good to finally feel at home! Below are some pictures of the events! Enjoy!

Until next time!

May the Lord give you His Peace!

Fr. John

How far we have come!

2009-11-01T17:01:00.011-06:00

Greetings world!

Today a former Rector of St. Gabriel's gave me this photo below to show me how different St. Gabriels looked when we first started out over 20 years ago! Compare the photos below and you must admit the people of this parish are so wonderful and dedicated! I am so proud of them for all their hard work over the years! Look at how far we have come! It is my honor to serve them as their Priest! Today we had over 82 souls in attendance for All Saints Day! May our Lord continue to bless our parish!

Until next time!

May the Lord give you His Peace!

Fr. John

A BABY SHOWER AT ST. GABRIEL'S!!

2009-11-01T16:46:00.010-06:00

Greetings world!

Today on the feast of all saints we got to welcome another saint to our parish family.. well sorta. We got to welcome this little guy in ADVANCE! We held a baby shower for our very own director of music - Farah Buck! She does such a wonderful job with the children's choir, as well as directing all of our music at the parish. This is just a small way of saying thank you to Farah and welcome to the next Buck member of the parish! I for one cannot wait to bless this little soul!! Below are some photos of the event!

Until next time!
May the Lord give you His Peace!
Fr. John

OUR NEW CHURCH SIGN!

2009-10-27T17:46:00.008-05:00

Greetings World!

This is just a quick post to show off St. Gabriel's new sign! A HUGE thank you is in order for my buddy Phil Gilbreath who designed it! I am so lucky to have such a talented artist in my flock!

Until next time!

May the Lord give you His Peace!

Fr. John

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAPT WALT!!!

2009-10-26T21:55:00.007-05:00

Greetings World!

This Sunday St. Gabriel's was honored to celebrate the 90th birthday of a living legend, Capt Walt Swindell! This man has done it ALL and we are so very proud of him! He runs "Operation Pass Along" from Hillspeak retreat house in Eureka Springs Arkansas. He has been so generous donating to our parish many books, vestments and pretty much everything Anglican you can think of! Your church family salutes you Capt Walt! May God bless you!

I think he liked the hat!

Making sure I signed his card!

Until next time!

May the Lord give you His Peace!

Fr. John

Gotta love his passion!

2009-10-21T23:48:00.003-05:00

Greetings world!

This video was posted by a brother priest on facebook. I don't know who this preacher is, although I must admit I really admire his passion!!

Until next time!
May the Lord give you His Peace!
Fr. John

St. Gabriel's Children's Choir

2009-10-19T17:30:00.002-05:00

Greetings World!

This is a video of St. Gabriel's children's choir. On very special days we get to hear these little angelic voices! They are so adorable! Come out and hear them some time!

Until next time!
may the Lord give you His Peace!
Fr. John

St. Gabriel's Online Store!

2009-10-17T17:10:00.003-05:00

Greetings World!

It is my great joy to bring you the news of St. Gabriel's launching its first online store! You can now buy merchandise featuring St. Gabriel's new and improved logo! Thank you Phil Gilbreath for designing it!! Keep in mind this is a work in progress and we have not worked out all the kinks. You can go to the store by clicking here...http://www.cafepress.com/SaintGabs

Until next time!

May the Lord give you His Peace!

Fr. John

Bishop Cox Visits St. Gabriel's!!

2009-10-11T16:51:00.011-05:00

Greetings World!

Today we had the great pleasure of having Bishop Cox and Fr. Turley of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Tulsa visit us! It's always such a joy to see my Bishop! I love him and Fr. Turley dearly!! They are two of the most Christian men I have ever met. We had a wonderful service together and then headed downstairs for cake and fellowship. Bishop Cox and Fr. Turley were such a great hit with the parish!! Below are some photos.

Bishop Cox Cake!

The Bishop cuts the cake!

Fr Turley Cake!

Fr Turley cuts the cake!

I think we may have started a new tradition at St. Gabriel's! ha ha

Until next time!

May the Lord give you His Peace!

Fr. John

St. Mary's Chapel

2009-10-09T01:50:00.002-05:00

Greetings World!

I'm back from my visit to Fort Worth! We enjoyed ourselves very much. Bishop Iker is such a Godly man! I am so grateful for all he has done for myself and my parish. He embodies everything a Bishop should be. I also had the privilege to stop by St. Vincent's Cathedral and celebrate Eucharist in St. Mary's Chapel. Thank you so much Dean Reed for arranging that!!! Below is some video of the celebration!

Until next time!!

May the Lord give you His Peace!

Fr. John

Blessing of the animals!

2009-10-05T20:52:00.002-05:00

Greetings world!

Today we got to bless all the critters of the parish! Below is a video of the event! Enjoy!!

Until Next Time!
May the Lord give you His peace!
Fr. John

Feast of St. Francis opening hymn

2009-10-04T21:08:00.002-05:00

Greetings World!

This is a clip of our opening hymn for the feast of St. Francis! Tomorrow we will be having the blessing of the animals. I will upload more pics as they come in!

Until next Time!
May the Lord give you His Peace!
Fr. John

Anglican Franciscans

2009-10-03T23:47:00.001-05:00

Greetings World!

This week we get to honor that great saint of Assisi Italy, St. Francis! As many of you know I am a third order Franciscan Priest so this is a wonderful week for me! Below is a video from another group of Anglican Franciscans out of Australia and New Zealand. I posted it to give you a taste of what being a Franciscan is all about, and to show you that there are lots of Anglican Franciscans in the world! Actually there are many Anglican Franciscans as well as Lutheran Franciscans and Methodist ones! St. Francis transcends denominational boundaries. He was simply a poor humble friar who loved Jesus! Let us strive to do the same!

Until next time!
May the Lord give you his peace +
Fr John

St Catherine's Chapel

2009-09-30T01:14:00.010-05:00

Greetings World!

Well it took me some time "about a year!" But I finally developed the photos of my Mass at St Catherine's chapel! The kind owners were gracious enough to allow me to celebrate Holy Mass in the chapel for my family and guests. Several months ago I was asked to conduct a wedding ceremony in the chapel as well. It was amazing!! This place is so beautiful, it's as if you were transported back to medieval England! Enjoy the Photos!

This is the outside notice the Our Lady of Grace Statue? Nice Gothic look!

Preparing the gifts at the Altar

Proclaiming the Gospel!

If you visit watch out for this little guy! He is known to patrol the grounds looking for tourists to steal their lunches!! =) Just kidding of course!

Until next time!

Keep the Faith!

Fr. John

First New Bishop for the Anglican Church in North America

2009-09-26T21:13:00.004-05:00

Bishop Jack Leo Iker writes:

It was my joy and privilege on Saturday, Aug. 22, to share in the consecration of the Rt. Rev. William H. Ilgenfritz, the first new bishop for the Anglican Church in North America. Archbishop Robert W. Duncan was the chief consecrator, and the other co-consecrators were Bishop Keith Ackerman, Bishop Edward MacBurney, and Bishop William Wantland, who also preached at the service. Thirteen bishops participated in the apostolic laying on of hands in the historic ceremony.

Bishop Ilgenfritz continues to serve as Rector of St. Mary's Anglican Church in Charleroi, Pa., in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The service took place at the local Roman Catholic parish a few blocks away, called Mary, Mother of the Church. The new bishop previously served here in the Diocese of Fort Worth as Rector of St. John's Church in Brownwood from 1990 to 1994.

It is important to recognize that this first consecration was of a Forward in Faith Bishop and that it creates a new diocese for FIF congregations across the country. This new Missionary Diocese of All Saints begins with about 13 congregations and is charged with planting new churches for traditional anglo-catholics in the United States and Canada. Bishop Ilgenfritz continues to serve as Vice-president of Forward in Faith, North America.

This consecration fulfills the vision of the Episcopal Synod of America, formed in 1989 here in Fort Worth, to create a non-geographic diocese or province for congregations upholding the faith and practice of the historic catholic church, including the tradition of an all-male priesthood. It secures a continuing line of apostolic succession for traditional anglo-catholics, which is no longer possible in The Episcopal Church in the United States.

Please continue to pray for Bishop Ilgenfritz and this new missionary diocese.

The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo IkerBishop of Fort WorthAug. 25, 2009

Nazareth House Apostolate

2009-09-24T07:40:00.002-05:00

Greetings World!

Below is a photo sent to me by my good friends "Mamma Vickie" and Fr Seraphim of Nazareth House Apostolate working in Sierra Leone West Africa. St. Gabriel's decided recently to support this wonderful mission! I recommend you all check out there blog at www.nazarethhouseap.blogspot.com these two souls are LIVING SAINTS! God bless you guys!!

Until next time!

Keep the Faith!

Fr. John

1928 Prayer Book Eucharist!

2009-09-24T07:37:00.003-05:00

Greetings World!

Here is some video of last nights Eucharist! We had a great turn out! 20 souls! I offered this Eucharist for St. Gabriel's Parish, the parish prayer list, and my friend Casey in seminary! Good luck brother! Hope you enjoy!

Until next time!!
Keep the Faith!!!
Fr. John

1928 Book of common prayer opening prayers for Holy Communion

2009-09-20T14:27:00.002-05:00

Greetings world!

We had a wonderful celebration of the Holy Eucharist today at St. Gabriel's! Below is some video of the event! Enjoy!!

Until next time...
Keep the Faith!
Fr. John

Book review of The Divine Mentor by Wayne Cordeiro

2009-09-19T22:38:00.002-05:00

Greetings World!

This is my first ever "video" review of a book, let me know what you think? This book "The Divine Mentor" was recommended to me by my friend and fellow Priest Fr Jack Lumanog. You can read his review of the book here www.jaxworld.blogspot.com/2009/06/divine-mentor.html I recommend this book to anyone looking to develop a daily devotion that involves scripture study and prayer!

Until next time!
Keep the Faith!
Fr. John

PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC: Decisive Legal Victory Favors All Saints Parish, Waccamaw

2009-09-19T16:53:00.003-05:00

Greetings World!

This is great news!!

Today, in a decisive legal victory, following more than seven years of legal wrangling, the South Carolina Supreme Court has ruled in favor of All Saints Parish Inc., Waccamaw, acknowledging the corporation and granting them the property instead of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.

"We got everything," said a jubilant parishioner, "the corporation, property, we got it all. Thanks be to God. We will have a service of Thanksgiving on Sunday."

To read the rest of this story go to www.virtueonline.org

Until next time..
Keep the Faith!
Fr. John

No, Mr. President: John Piper's Response to President Obama

2009-09-18T23:55:00.004-05:00

Greetings World!

This is an EXTREMELY emotional Pro-Life video by Pastor John Piper. I think he is so great!! God bless you Pastor Piper!!!

AMAZING!
Until Next Time...
Keep the Faith!
Fr. John

Apostolic Succession

2009-09-18T21:54:00.004-05:00

Greetings World!

Here is a photo of the recent consecration service of three new Bishops to serve the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA), one of the founding members of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). For those interested, the three new Bishops are Bp. Silas Ng, Bp. Todd Hunter, and Bp. Doc Loomis. Incidentally, this month's issue of Christianity Today has a wonderful article on Bp. Todd Hunter. I recommend you check it out! Also, Bp. Silas Ng has an AWESOME devotional blog that I am addicted to already! Check it out here.... http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/ !

What I wanted to mention today is Apostolic succession. Notice all the Bishops surrounding the newly consecrated ones? This goes back to the Apostles themselves laying hands on the new Bishops that would succeeded them. To have what we refer to as "valid apostolic succession", a Deacon, Priest, or Bishop must be able to trace his lineage back in an unbroken line to the Apostles themselves and ultimately Jesus Christ. Every time I witness an ordination, consecration, or even a confirmation, I get overwhelmed with emotion! These men, these Bishops, by the laying on of their hands, are literally passing on the faith once delivered to the saints! It's an awe-inspiring moment. Just stop and think, the most high God of heaven and earth has deemed us mortal men, his creatures, worthy to share in some of his divine power! If this does not humble you nothing will! So this week if you're a Cleric, think back to your own ordination and thank God for the gifts bestowed on you through the hands of the Bishop. ALL of us, Cleric or not, can reflect back to our confirmations when those very same hands came down on our heads and changed us forever. Let us keep these thoughts always fresh in our minds.

And of course I cannot end this post without pointing out to the many who oppose the new Provence that in this photo you will notice that there are no women Bishops on the Altar or taking part during the Consecrations. This is because according to the ACNA canons and constitutions, the Episcopate is not open to women. This insures a valid consecration of the Bishops and likewise valid ordinations of the Priests they will ordain, and hence valid sacraments to those who would question them.

I want to congratulate all the new Bishops! May our Lord give you his peace in your very difficult ministry. You are all in my prayers daily.

Until next time...

Keep the faith!

Fr. John

Court Decision in Fort Worth Diocese

2009-09-18T11:33:00.007-05:00

THE RT. REV. JACK. LEO IKER, Bishop Sept. 16, 2009 For immediate release

COURT ISSUES DECISION ON RULE 12 MOTION

FORT WORTH, Texas – In a hearing today in the141st District Court, Judge John Chupp granted the Diocese partial relief under Rule 12 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. He ruled that attorneys Jonathan Nelson and Kathleen Wells do not represent the diocese or the corporation which have realigned under the Province of the Southern Cone. He denied a second aspect of Rule 12 relief which would have removed the plaintiffs’ diocese and corporation from the lawsuit filed April 14, 2009.

The judge also ruled that neither the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church nor the Constitution and Canons of this diocese prohibit withdrawal from TEC and realignment under another province. Further, he found that the Diocese had done so at its November 2008 annual convention, saying that “they [the members] took the diocese with them.” The action of the November convention was not, he said, ultra vires and void, as the suit’s plaintiffs have argued. He declared, too, that the Diocese had taken its property with it in realignment. He said he did not consider any court ruling concerning a realigning parish to be applicable in the present case, and he said that he considered it “self-serving on [the part of TEC] to say that [Bishop Iker] abandoned his job.”

The hearing on the Rule 12 motion began Wednesday, Sept. 9. At that time, the judge denied a motion for continuance filed by Nelson and Wells. Each party filed a supplemental written statement in the period between the first and second portions of the hearing. The statement submitted by attorney Shelby Sharpe is available on the diocesan Web site.

Commenting on today’s ruling, Bishop Iker said, “We are pleased that Judge Chupp has recognized the legitimacy of the vote of our Diocesan Convention in November 2008 to withdraw from the General Convention of The Episcopal Church and has ruled that we had the legal right to amend our Constitution in order to do so. This a positive step in support of the position we have taken. We will continue to keep our concerns before the Lord in prayer.”

The date for a further hearing to take up the remaining Motion for Leave to File a Third-Party Petition will be set shortly. A date of October 15 has been set to hear the plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgement.

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth was organized in 1982. It is a constituent member of the Anglican Communion and the Province of the Southern Cone. The Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker has served as the third diocesan Bishop of Fort Worth since 1995. The diocese enjoys companion relationships with the Dioceses of Northern Malawi and Northern Mexico.

For more information visit http://www.fwepiscopal.org/

Beth Moore prayer request letter

2009-09-17T03:50:00.015-05:00

Greetings world!

This may be the strangest thing you will see on my blog so let me explain! =) Last year I had to undergo chemotherapy treatments. It was a tough time for Pam and I so we decided to storm heaven with prayers not only from local friends, but from everyone in the Christian world that we respected. And so we sent out letters not only to Anglicans but to all Christian leaders! Billy Graham, Orthodox Patriarchs, The Pope, and yes Beth Moore. For you unfamiliar with her she is the author of dozens of wonderful women's bible studies. Shes a gifted teacher! I feel shes a Godly woman I'm so glad she responded. Pam rediscovered this so I thought "Heck! why not post it?" So here you go!! And thank you Beth! GOD BLESS YOU!

(For those who can not make out what it says....)

"Dear John,

Word has come to me of your tremendous challenge. I am so sorry that you have had to face so much. I can only try to imagine the difficulty. I want you to know that I care so much and that I pray God all over you. Dear friend, I know this: He reserves the right to favor the suffering and somehow, somewhere there is glory at stake. He loves you so. He is your God, and "the sufferings of this present time" will be unimaginable exceeded by the glory he will reveal in you. (Romans 8:18) Now we see in a mirror darkly- but then, face to face. May God show you and your family miraculous power beyond your comprehension. I am praying for you.

Love, Beth"

Until next time..

Keep the Faith!

Fr John

URGENT! Uganda Needs Immediate Intercessory Prayer

2009-09-14T18:55:00.007-05:00

Greetings World!

Below is the text of an E-mail I received from the ACNA. I am posting it here so you may pray for this very urgent cause!......

Keep the Faith!

Fr John
_____________________________________________________________

URGENT! Uganda Needs Immediate Intercessory Prayer
Late last night we received an urgent prayer request from the Rev. Canon Dr. Alison Barfoot, Archibishop Henry Orombi's assistant for international relations.

Alison writes, "Please pray for peace and order in Kampala and the central region of Uganda. At the moment, the police, riot police, and army have been heavily deployed to quell rioting against the government.

"Now, for me, the challenge is that I live very close to the center of the government of the Buganda kingdom, which is in Mengo town, just around the corner from where I live. So, last night and today, we are being serenaded with gun fire. Of course, it's impossible to know what the gun fire is about. Is it the police shooting bullets in the air to disburse rioters? Or, is it rioters who have gotten hold of fire arms and going crazy? You can't know these things.

"Our office is closed today. The Provincial Secretary just called me to ask for prayers, and I told him I was writing you. He was concerned because they don't have food at home, and there's no place to buy food, because all the markets are closed. So, please pray for a swift resolution to this crisis."

You can read more about the specifics of the conflict here:<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8249693.stm>

The Anglican Church has a new Martyr

2009-09-11T19:24:00.005-05:00

Greetings World,

This is such a sad story but brings inspiration to so many of us. The world tells us that all the Saints of old are long gone. Those who would die for the faith no longer exist. Archdeacon Joseph Mabior Garang proves otherwise! Sometimes Christians in this country forget how good they have it!

His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Daniel Deng Bul Yak, Archbishop of Sudan has issued this statement:"

On Saturday 29th August 2009 I received reports from Wernyol, Twic East County, Jonglei State, that there had been another attack on the peoples of the area in which over forty people – men, women and children – were killed.

Amongst the dead were Ven. Joseph Mabior Garang, Archdeacon of Wernyol and Archbishop’s Commissary in the new Diocese of Twic East, who was shot at the altar of the church in Wernyol during a service of Morning Prayer.

Tens of others have been wounded, some very seriously with gun-shot wounds and broken limbs. Only a few of these have been taken to Juba Military Hospital, whilst the rest are still in Bor Hospital. I have leant from Episcopal Church sources on the ground that the attackers were well armed with new automatic weapons, dressed in army uniforms, and appeared well-organized and properly trained. Instead of attacking a cattle camp, this was an attack on a Payam headquarter town.

Consequently in the view of the Church, this was not a tribal conflict as commonly reported, but a deliberately organized attack on civilians by those that are against the peace in Southern Sudan. These reports confirm the suspicions that I aired in my May 2009 appeal to the diplomatic and international community in Sudan.

Last week I received the news from Ezo, Ezo County, Western Equatoria State, that there had been another devastating attack by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) on Ezo town on 12th/13th August in which three people, including an Episcopal Church lay reader had been murdered. The attack included the abduction of children from the Episcopal church building in Ezo, and several thousand more people have been displaced into Ezo town – people that the local churches are struggling to care for.

Ezo Hospital was also attacked, medicine stolen and equipment destroyed. I hear from Bishop John Zawo of the Episcopal Diocese of Ezo that the attack could have been avoided if better military security had been given to the town. I am therefore appealing to the government and the international community at large to act swiftly in order to prevent such atrocities from occurring in future.

Continuing violence such as this is not only a crime against the innocent people killed and injured, it is a crime against the peace of the Sudan and if left unchecked will do great damage to the smooth implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Read more below. This is especially the case given the strained political situation whereby the two parties to the CPA – the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) – are still not coming to an agreement regarding the laws governing the elections and referendum. The time frame given for the elections and referendum is already too short for the democratic processes to be effectively organized, and by the provisional dates chosen for voting in the elections, much of the South will already be suffering from logistics problems caused by the onset of the wet season.

This is an indication to the citizens of the Sudan that the people on the ground are not being regarded or included in the politics of peace and that we are vulnerable to future violations of the CPA and an uncertain future for peace in the Sudan. I refer the government and international community to my May 2009 appeal to the diplomatic community in Sudan, and now strongly reiterate my plea to urge your countries’ governments to do more to guarantee the implementation of the CPA at all levels. As shown from the Twic East example, there is now accurate evidence to suggest that such violence is deliberately perpetrated as I implied in the May appeal. So long as all violence such as that in Jonglei and that perpetrated by the LRA continues – violence which is preventable by better use of security personnel – there is no hope of conducting free and fair elections in these areas in 2010 and no hope of a fair referendum on Southern secession in 2011.

In the mean time I am appealing for humanitarian assistance to those 24,000 displaced and wounded people in Twic East County and those 15,000 displaced and wounded people Ezo County. I would like to especially appeal for help for the widow and children of Ven. Joseph Mabior Garang, who now require food and education. Unless the guarantor governments of the CPA act now the peace is in grave danger. As the Church, we look for the upholding of the rights of every Sudanese to a peaceful future.

"His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Daniel Deng Bul YakArchbishop and Primate of the Province of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan

Ven. Joseph Mabior Garang, Archdeacon of Wernyol.. PRAY FOR US!

Keep the Faith!

Fr John

September 11th

2009-09-11T17:40:00.008-05:00

Greetings World!

We come to September 11th once again. A day that is a particularly hard day for me being that I was born and raised in New York. I heard from a friend in NYC that it rained today, she said it reminded her of tears. I'm sure our Lord did weep right alongside us on 9/11, and he continues to weep with us every day since. I ask you all to pause today at some point in your busy workday and send up a prayer for all the lives we lost on that tragic day. They will never be forgotten, for they shall forever live on in our hearts! Last night I watched a tape of the prayer service that was conducted at the National Cathedral days after the tragedy. At it the Rev Billy Graham spoke these words. I found them so touching, I hope you do as well. May God continue to bless you and may God bless our great nation! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

Keep the Faith!
Fr John

President and Mrs. Bush, I want to say a personal word on behalf of many people. Thank you, Mr. President, for calling this day of prayer and remembrance. We needed it at this time.

We come together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious, or political background may be. The Bible says that He's the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles. No matter how hard we try, words simply cannot express the horror, the shock, and the revulsion we all feel over what took place in this nation on Tuesday morning. September eleven will go down in our history as a day to remember.

Today we say to those who masterminded this cruel plot, and to those who carried it out, that the spirit of this nation will not be defeated by their twisted and diabolical schemes. Someday, those responsible will be brought to justice, as President Bush and our Congress have so forcefully stated. But today we especially come together in this service to confess our need of God.

We've always needed God from the very beginning of this nation, but today we need Him especially. We're facing a new kind of enemy. We're involved in a new kind of warfare. And we need the help of the Spirit of God. The Bible words are our hope: God is our refuge and strength; an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

But how do we understand something like this? Why does God allow evil like this to take place? Perhaps that is what you are asking now. You may even be angry at God. I want to assure you that God understands these feelings that you may have. We've seen so much on our television, on our -- heard on our radio, stories that bring tears to our eyes and make us all feel a sense of anger. But God can be trusted, even when life seems at its darkest.

But what are some of the lessons we can learn? First, we are reminded of the mystery and reality of evil. I've been asked hundreds of times in my life why God allows tragedy and suffering. I have to confess that I really do not know the answer totally, even to my own satisfaction. I have to accept by faith that God is sovereign, and He's a God of love and mercy and compassion in the midst of suffering. The Bible says that God is not the author of evil. It speaks of evil as a mystery. In 1st Thessalonians 2:7 it talks about the mystery of iniquity. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure." Who can understand it?" He asked that question, 'Who can understand it?' And that's one reason we each need God in our lives.

The lesson of this event is not only about the mystery of iniquity and evil, but secondly it's a lesson about our need for each other. What an example New York and Washington have been to the world these past few days. None of us will ever forget the pictures of our courageous firefighters and police, many of whom have lost friends and colleagues; or the hundreds of people attending or standing patiently in line to donate blood. A tragedy like this could have torn our country apart. But instead it has united us, and we've become a family. So those perpetrators who took this on to tear us apart, it has worked the other way -- it's back lashed. It's backfired. We are more united than ever before. I think this was exemplified in a very moving way when the members of our Congress stood shoulder to shoulder the other day and sang "God Bless America."

Finally, difficult as it may be for us to see right now, this event can give a message of hope -- hope for the present, and hope for the future. Yes, there is hope. There's hope for the present, because I believe the stage has already been set for a new spirit in our nation. One of the things we desperately need is a spiritual renewal in this country. We need a spiritual revival in America. And God has told us in His word, time after time, that we are to repent of our sins and return to Him, and He will bless us in a new way. But there's also hope for the future because of God's promises. As a Christian, I hope not for just this life, but for heaven and the life to come. And many of those people who died this past week are in heaven right now. And they wouldn't want to come back. It's so glorious and so wonderful. And that's the hope for all of us who put our faith in God. I pray that you will have this hope in your heart.

This event reminds us of the brevity and the uncertainty of life. We never know when we too will be called into eternity. I doubt if even one those people who got on those planes, or walked into the World Trade Center or the Pentagon last Tuesday morning thought it would be the last day of their lives. It didn't occur to them. And that's why each of us needs to face our own spiritual need and commit ourselves to God and His will now.

Here in this majestic National Cathedral we see all around us symbols of the cross. For the Christian -- I'm speaking for the Christian now -- the cross tells us that God understands our sin and our suffering. For He took upon himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, our sins and our suffering. And from the cross, God declares "I love you. I know the heart aches, and the sorrows, and the pains that you feel, but I love you." The story does not end with the cross, for Easter points us beyond the tragedy of the cross to the empty tomb. It tells us that there is hope for eternal life, for Christ has conquered evil, and death, and hell. Yes, there's hope.

I've become an old man now. And I've preached all over the world. And the older I get, the more I cling to that hope that I started with many years ago, and proclaimed it in many languages to many parts of the world. Several years ago at the National Prayer Breakfast here in Washington, Ambassador Andrew Young, who had just gone through the tragic death of his wife, closed his talk with a quote from the old hymn, "How Firm A Foundation." We all watched in horror as planes crashed into the steel and glass of the World Trade Center. Those majestic towers, built on solid foundations, were examples of the prosperity and creativity of America. When damaged, those buildings eventually plummeted to the ground, imploding in upon themselves. Yet underneath the debris is a foundation that was not destroyed. Therein lies the truth of that old hymn that Andrew Young quoted: "How firm a foundation."

Yes, our nation has been attacked. Buildings destroyed. Lives lost. But now we have a choice: Whether to implode and disintegrate emotionally and spiritually as a people, and a nation, or, whether we choose to become stronger through all of the struggle to rebuild on a solid foundation. And I believe that we're in the process of starting to rebuild on that foundation. That foundation is our trust in God. That's what this service is all about. And in that faith we have the strength to endure something as difficult and horrendous as what we've experienced this week.

This has been a terrible week with many tears. But also it's been a week of great faith. Churches all across the country have called prayer meetings. And today is a day that they're celebrating not only in this country, but in many parts of the world. And the words of that familiar hymn that Andrew Young quoted, it says, "Fear not, I am with thee. Oh be not dismayed for I am thy God and will give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand upon" my righteous -- on "thy righteous, omnipotent hand."

My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us and will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us as we trust in Him. We also know that God is going to give wisdom, and courage, and strength to the President, and those around him. And this is going to be a day that we will remember as a day of victory. May God bless you all.

(Well said Rev Graham!!!)

ARCHBISHOP DUNCAN! THE LIVING LEGEND!

2009-09-06T20:51:00.005-05:00

Greetings world!

Here is a video of the Archbishop and Primate of North America, His Grace, Archbishop Robert Duncan! I got to meet him in Bedford,Texas the day before this video was shot. He is the most amazing man! This video is so touching because it's so historic. Anglican Christians finally put their differences aside and gathered together in the name of Christ to move forward and spread the Gospel. We have sooooo much work ahead of us, but I am so very proud to call Archbishop Duncan MY Archbishop! He has EARNED my RESPECT, my PRAYERS and my LOYALTY! May our Lord grant him many fruitful years working in His harvest!

Until Next Time..
Go with God!
Fr John

Daily Office AUDIO ONLINE!

2009-09-03T15:24:00.003-05:00

Greetings World!

I met this really great guy on facebook today! His name is David Peet he is from the Diocese of Fort Worth Texas and he runs a service online called the Divine Office. http://feeds2.feedburner.com/DailyOfficeScriptureReadings He reads the scripture lessons for morning and evening prayer and then uploads them so you can listen to them on your iPod or download them to your computer to listen to at your leisure. This is extremly helpfull for Priests like myself who are bound to say the daily office each day. Now I can listen to it as I travel in my car! He uses the 3 year lectionary, so you get a psalm, old testament reading and new testament reading every day. God bless him for doing this! I love when people use the web to spread the Gospel! When you think of all the horrible stuff that exists on the Internet its great to see people like this using it for the greater glory of God! MAY GOD BLESS YOU MR PEET!

Until next time

Go with God!

Fr John

Our Chaplains GOD BLESS THEM ALL!

2009-08-26T12:25:00.009-05:00

Greetings World!

I felt the need to post this prayer for chaplains. They have such a hard time on the front lines keeping our soldiers spiritually fit for battle! I recently spoke with a good friend of mine who is working as a Chaplain with the Texas state guard. His story is very inspiring! God bless ALL our Armed forces and the Chaplains that minister to them! Check out the photos of our brave ministers going back to the civil war!

PRAYER FOR MILITARY CHAPLAINS
O God, Who hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son to be the eternal High Priest for the glory of Thy Majesty and the salvation of mankind; grant that they whom He hath chosen to be His chaplains and the stewards of His mysteries, maybe found faithful in the fulfilment of the ministry which they have received.
Grant, O Holy and Mighty Trinity, that they may never lose that purity of heart with which they were ordained, though all around them lie terrors and the uncertainty of war. Give them an abundance of wise counsel, fortitude, temperance and justice and supernatural charity. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Until next time...Go with God!

Fr John

Pray for your Priests, PLEASE!

2009-08-24T12:20:00.002-05:00

A Prayer for Priests

Keep them, I pray Thee, dearest Lord,
keep them, for they are Thine --
Thy priests whose lives burn out before
Thy consecrated shrine.

Keep them, for they are in the world,
though from the world apart;
when earthly pleasures tempt, allure --
shelter them in Thy heart.

Keep them, and comfort them
in hours of loneliness and pain,
when all their lives of sacrifice
for souls seems but in vain.

Keep them, and o remember, Lord,
they have no one but Thee,
yet they have only human hearts,
with human frailty.

Keep them as spotless as the Host,
that daily they caress;
their every thought and word and deed,
deign, dearest Lord, to bless.

Amen!

Go with God!

Fr John

1928 Book of Common Prayer Canon!

2009-08-17T22:49:00.003-05:00

Greetings World!!

OK, I'm back in the swing of things here at St. Gabriel's and it's Monday so that means....DAILY EUCHARIST!!! So today I thought I would share with you all the beauty of the 1928 Book of Common prayer, particularly the Canon of the Eucharist. The graceful language is so uplifting I still get chills every time I celebrate the Eucharist! Well here is the Video! Enjoy!

Until next time..
Go with God!

Fr John

In honor of the first Holy Communion in the New World

2009-08-16T21:42:00.004-05:00

Greetings World!

OK I'm back from my trip to Florida! It was interesting to say the least. I got to visit some great churches. One of them was St. Luke's in Ft. Myers, one of the OLDEST Episcopal Churches in all of Florida! I suggest if you are ever in SW Florida you visit them. They are AMAZING! Thanks Fr. Read and all of you at St. Luke's for making me and my family feel so welcome! ANYWAY....after seeing all that wonderful history, I got on my "historical Anglican" kick and while researching I found this really cool video of a Church Service done in the original Jamestown church! I am a HUUUUGEEE fan of Jamestown. I've even got a replica of the Chalice they used there for the FIRST Holy Communion on the shores of this new nation! Well below is the video. As always, enjoy!

Until next time
Go with God!

Fr John

I am now on MySpace!

2009-07-31T23:04:00.003-05:00

Greetings world! OK I did it, I took the plunge! A good friend of mine (thanks Dustin!) hooked me up with a SWEEEET MySpace page. Why you may ask? Networking of course!!! This new launch into the deep of cyberspace is all about reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and letting them know were to find some good Anglican worship ie St. Gabriel's! So if you just can't get enough you can now also follow me at

http://www.myspace.com/frjohnslavin this link is also found in the sidebar.

OK gotta go finish my homily for Sunday

until next time!

Go with God!

Blessings! Fr John!!! =)

Fr John goes VIDEO!!

2009-07-31T03:22:00.004-05:00

Hi World! Well we did it we decided not only to broadcast in Audio but also in VIDEO! Check the links in the sidebar to go to my new Youtube channel! I Will also insert some videos here from time to time! This weeks video is a tour of St Gabriel's! Forgive the bad quality this is a work in progress but hopefully I will be able to bring you clips of all the exciting things going on at the parish! Until next time..

Go with God!

Blessings

Fr John =)

WHO SAYS THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA (ACNA) IS NOT CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH??

2009-07-29T15:18:00.015-05:00

Hi World! I thought I would post the letter that Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, wrote to Archbishop Duncan supporting the then forming ACNA. The Cardinal wrote this letter on behalf of Pope John Paul II. One may call John Paul the great many things, but "liberal" is not one of the them! Also note that the letter from Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from the Vatican is the first EVER Roman Catholic endorsement of a reforming group in another church.

Also, Metropolitan Jonah, the head of the autocephalous (self-headed, not under the authority of a foreign hierarch) Orthodox Church in America, one of the 15 autocephalous Churches in the Orthodox Communion, endorsed the Anglican Church in North America and was a guest speaker at the event! Speaking to the massive crowd gathered in Bedford TX at St. Vincent's Cathedral (I myself was one of those in attendance), he said "I come to you as the successor of Tikhon... with the same openness, the same invitation, the same love and desire to unify Anglicanism and Orthodoxy." He also called for a "full... intercommunion" with the Anglican Church in North America. "What will it take," he asked, "for a true ecumenical reconciliation? That is what I am seeking by being with you today."

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback church, Pastor of one of the largest churches in the United States and author of the best selling book "Purpose Driven Life" also gave his blessings on the ACNA. He spoke great words to the 800 assembled in a large tent on the grounds of St. Vincent's cathedral, "You may lose the steeple, but you won't lose the people. Christ did not die for property.....We have an unchanging message in a constantly changing world.......A great commitment to the great commandment and the great commission will grow a great communion....Some things never change; God's Word and God's character and God's love for you never changes,..... our faith is unchanging, the faith once for all delivered to the saints...we are here to put new wine into new wineskins." In other talks prior to the meeting in Bedford TX, the influential minister also pledged his congregation’s support in planting new ACNA congregations in Orange County. "We stand in solidarity with them (ACNA), and with all orthodox, evangelical Anglicans," he wrote, and offered the "campus of Saddleback Church to any Anglican congregation who needs a place to meet, or if you want to plant a new congregation in south Orange County." God Bless Pastor Warren!

Not Only did TWO Popes, the Metropolitan of the OCA, and the largest evangelical Church in the USA offer to support the ACNA, but the local Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh also is lending a hand. Questioned on lawsuits and property issues in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Archbishop Duncan said that the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Pittsburgh was one of his staunchest allies and that he had called him to assure him that in the event of there being a loss of property, his people would never be without a place to worship because they could use the Roman Churches in Pittsburgh!

So some may ask what my reason for posting this information is? It seems despite all the above FACTS there are people who still do not feel that the Anglican Church in North America is Orthodox or Conservative enough. I have heard it called everything from "Heretical" to "Apostate". I am not in the business of answering ignorant statements or those that come from a hateful or jealous spirit. In today's day and age I would expect people to get beyond this petty name calling? I will not go toe to toe with these people. Instead I will simply publish the FACTS and then let you the reader come to your own conclusions.

My question is this. What can people possibly have against this organization??? The Entire CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN WORLD has endorsed it! Sure there are some "Tiny" groups that won't, but the entire catholic (Universal) Church - East, West, AND Evangelical, HAS blessed it! The only way someone can choose to go against this would be to say that the ENTIRE universal Church has fallen into error by endorsing an heretical apostate group, and that their teeny tiny group is the ONLY true church? This is so overwhelmingly arrogant I can not even begin to explain it??

But enough of the negative. Let's harp on the positive! The ACNA has done something that not even ECUSA in all its glory was able to pull off! It has broken down the walls that separate us Christians and pulled together all the branches of Christ's Church under one tent! Here we can talk out our differences and work towards true unity while sticking to the basics of the Christian faith and not getting bogged down in politics or egos or the elite church mentality. In this upcoming week's Gospel we hear "by their fruits you will know them". If one steps back with unbiased eyes and views the great work the ACNA has accomplished, the great fruit they have produced, one can not but admit this work is of GOD! To Him be all the GLORY!

Until next time...
Go with God!
Blessings
Fr John =)

Below is a copy of the Popes letter...

September 30, 2003
His Lordship
The Right Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan
Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh
900 Oliver Building
535 Smithfield Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
USA

Your Lordship:
Thank you for your letter of September 9, 2003, in which you informed me of the meetings in Plano of the bishops, clergy and lay leaders of the American Anglican Council and asked my prayers for this momentous gathering.

I hasten to assure you, Bishop Duncan, of my heartfelt prayers for all those taking part in this convocation. The significance of your meeting is sensed far beyond Plano, and even in this City from which Saint Augustine of Canterbury was sent to confirm and strengthen the preaching of Christ's Gospel in England. Nor can I fail to recall that, barely 120 years later, Saint Boniface brought that same Christian faith from England to my own forebears in Germany.

The lives of these saints show us how in the Church of Christ there is a unity in the truth and a communion of grace which transcend the borders of any nation. With this in mind, I pray in particular that God's will may be done by all those who seek that unity in the truth, the gift of Christ himself.

With fraternal regards, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Compliments of the Apostolic Nunciature in the United States

Archbishop of Canterbury responds to Episcopal Church!

2009-07-28T23:43:00.003-05:00

Communion, Covenant and our Anglican Future

Monday 27 July 2009

Reflections on the Episcopal Church's 2009 General Convention from the Archbishop of Canterbury for the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful of the Anglican Communion.

1. No-one could be in any doubt about the eagerness of the Bishops and Deputies of the Episcopal Church at the General Convention to affirm their concern about the wider Anglican Communion. Their generous welcome to guests from elsewhere, including myself, the manifest engagement with the crushing problems of the developing world and even the wording of one of the more controversial resolutions all make plain the fact that the Episcopal Church does not wish to cut its moorings from other parts of the Anglican family. There has been an insistence at the highest level that the two most strongly debated resolutions (DO25 and CO56) do not have the automatic effect of overturning the requested moratoria, if the wording is studied carefully. There is a clear commitment to seek counsel from elsewhere in the Communion about certain issues and an eloquent resolution in support of the 'Covenant for a Communion in Mission' as commended by ACC13. All of this merits grateful acknowledgement. The relationship between the Episcopal Church and the wider Communion is a reality which needs continued engagement and encouragement.

2. However, a realistic assessment of what Convention has resolved does not suggest that it will repair the broken bridges into the life of other Anglican provinces; very serious anxieties have already been expressed. The repeated request for moratoria on the election of partnered gay clergy as bishops and on liturgical recognition of same-sex partnerships has clearly not found universal favour, although a significant minority of bishops has just as clearly expressed its intention to remain with the consensus of the Communion. The statement that the Resolutions are essentially 'descriptive' is helpful, but unlikely to allay anxieties.

3. There are two points which I believe need to be reiterated and thought through further, and it seems to fall to the Archbishop of Canterbury to try and articulate them. To some extent they echo part of what I wrote after the last General Convention, as well as things said at the Lambeth Conference and the ACC, but they still have some pertinence.

4. The first is to do with the arguments most often used against the moratoria relating to same-sex unions. Appeal is made to the fundamental human rights dimension of attitudes to LGBT people, and to the impossibility of betraying their proper expectations of a Christian body which has courageously supported them.

5. In response, it needs to be made absolutely clear that, on the basis of repeated statements at the highest levels of the Communion's life, no Anglican has any business reinforcing prejudice against LGBT people, questioning their human dignity and civil liberties or their place within the Body of Christ. Our overall record as a Communion has not been consistent in this respect and this needs to be acknowledged with penitence.

6. However, the issue is not simply about civil liberties or human dignity or even about pastoral sensitivity to the freedom of individual Christians to form their consciences on this matter. It is about whether the Church is free to recognise same-sex unions by means of public blessings that are seen as being, at the very least, analogous to Christian marriage.

7. In the light of the way in which the Church has consistently read the Bible for the last two thousand years, it is clear that a positive answer to this question would have to be based on the most painstaking biblical exegesis and on a wide acceptance of the results within the Communion, with due account taken of the teachings of ecumenical partners also. A major change naturally needs a strong level of consensus and solid theological grounding.

8. This is not our situation in the Communion. Thus a blessing for a same-sex union cannot have the authority of the Church Catholic, or even of the Communion as a whole. And if this is the case, a person living in such a union is in the same case as a heterosexual person living in a sexual relationship outside the marriage bond; whatever the human respect and pastoral sensitivity such persons must be given, their chosen lifestyle is not one that the Church's teaching sanctions, and thus it is hard to see how they can act in the necessarily representative role that the ordained ministry, especially the episcopate, requires.

9. In other words, the question is not a simple one of human rights or human dignity. It is that a certain choice of lifestyle has certain consequences. So long as the Church Catholic, or even the Communion as a whole does not bless same-sex unions, a person living in such a union cannot without serious incongruity have a representative function in a Church whose public teaching is at odds with their lifestyle. (There is also an unavoidable difficulty over whether someone belonging to a local church in which practice has been changed in respect of same-sex unions is able to represent the Communion's voice and perspective in, for example, international ecumenical encounters.)

10. This is not a matter that can be wholly determined by what society at large considers usual or acceptable or determines to be legal. Prejudice and violence against LGBT people are sinful and disgraceful when society at large is intolerant of such people; if the Church has echoed the harshness of the law and of popular bigotry – as it so often has done – and justified itself by pointing to what society took for granted, it has been wrong to do so. But on the same basis, if society changes its attitudes, that change does not of itself count as a reason for the Church to change its discipline.

11. The second issue is the broader one of how a local church makes up its mind on a sensitive and controversial matter. It is of the greatest importance to remember this aspect of the matter, so as not to be completely trapped in the particularly bitter and unpleasant atmosphere of the debate over sexuality, in which unexamined prejudice is still so much in evidence and accusations of bad faith and bigotry are so readily thrown around.

12. When a local church seeks to respond to a new question, to the challenge of possible change in its practice or discipline in the light of new facts, new pressures, or new contexts, as local churches have repeatedly sought to do, it needs some way of including in its discernment the judgement of the wider Church. Without this, it risks becoming unrecognisable to other local churches, pressing ahead with changes that render it strange to Christian sisters and brothers across the globe.

13. This is not some piece of modern bureaucratic absolutism, but the conviction of the Church from its very early days. The doctrine that 'what affects the communion of all should be decided by all' is a venerable principle. On some issues, there emerges a recognition that a particular new development is not of such significance that a high level of global agreement is desirable; in the language used by the Doctrinal Commission of the Communion, there is a recognition that in 'intensity, substance and extent' it is not of fundamental importance. But such a recognition cannot be wished into being by one local church alone. It takes time and a willingness to believe that what we determine together is more likely, in a New Testament framework, to be in tune with the Holy Spirit than what any one community decides locally.

14. Sometimes in Christian history, of course, that wider discernment has been very fallible, as with the history of the Chinese missions in the seventeenth century. But this should not lead us to ignore or minimise the opposite danger of so responding to local pressure or change that a local church simply becomes isolated and imprisoned in its own cultural environment.

15. There have never been universal and straightforward rules about this, and no-one is seeking a risk-free, simple organ of doctrinal decision for our Communion. In an age of vastly improved communication, we must make the best use we can of the means available for consultation and try to build into our decision-making processes ways of checking whether a new local development would have the effect of isolating a local church or making it less recognisable to others. This again has an ecumenical dimension when a global Christian body is involved in partnerships and discussions with other churches who will quite reasonably want to know who now speaks for the body they are relating to when a controversial local change occurs. The results of our ecumenical discussions are themselves important elements in shaping the theological vision within which we seek to resolve our own difficulties.

16. In recent years, local pastoral needs have been cited as the grounds for changes in the sacramental practice of particular local churches within the Communion, and theological rationales have been locally developed to defend and promote such changes. Lay presidency at the Holy Communion is one well-known instance. Another is the regular admission of the unbaptised to Holy Communion as a matter of public policy. Neither of these practices has been given straightforward official sanction as yet by any Anglican authorities at diocesan or provincial level, but the innovative practices concerned have a high degree of public support in some localities.

17. Clearly there are significant arguments to be had about such matters on the shared and agreed basis of Scripture, Tradition and reason. But it should be clear that an acceptance of these sorts of innovation in sacramental practice would represent a manifest change in both the teaching and the discipline of the Anglican tradition, such that it would be a fair question as to whether the new practice was in any way continuous with the old. Hence the question of 'recognisability' once again arises.

18. To accept without challenge the priority of local and pastoral factors in the case either of sexuality or of sacramental practice would be to abandon the possibility of a global consensus among the Anglican churches such as would continue to make sense of the shape and content of most of our ecumenical activity. It would be to re-conceive the Anglican Communion as essentially a loose federation of local bodies with a cultural history in common, rather than a theologically coherent 'community of Christian communities'.

19. As Anglicans, our membership of the Communion is an important part of our identity. However, some see this as best expressed in a more federalist and pluralist way. They would see this as the only appropriate language for a modern or indeed postmodern global fellowship of believers in which levels of diversity are bound to be high and the risks of centralisation and authoritarianism are the most worrying. There is nothing foolish or incoherent about this approach. But it is not the approach that has generally shaped the self-understanding of our Communion – less than ever in the last half-century, with new organs and instruments for the Communion's communication and governance and new enterprises in ecumenical co-operation.

20. The Covenant proposals of recent years have been a serious attempt to do justice to that aspect of Anglican history that has resisted mere federation. They seek structures that will express the need for mutual recognisability, mutual consultation and some shared processes of decision-making. They are emphatically not about centralisation but about mutual responsibility. They look to the possibility of a freely chosen commitment to sharing discernment (and also to a mutual respect for the integrity of each province, which is the point of the current appeal for a moratorium on cross-provincial pastoral interventions). They remain the only proposals we are likely to see that address some of the risks and confusions already detailed, encouraging us to act and decide in ways that are not simply local.

21. They have been criticised as 'exclusive' in intent. But their aim is not to shut anyone out – rather, in words used last year at the Lambeth Conference, to intensify existing relationships.

22. It is possible that some will not choose this way of intensifying relationships, though I pray that it will be persuasive. It would be a mistake to act or speak now as if those decisions had already been made – and of course approval of the final Covenant text is still awaited. For those whose vision is not shaped by the desire to intensify relationships in this particular way, or whose vision of the Communion is different, there is no threat of being cast into outer darkness – existing relationships will not be destroyed that easily. But it means that there is at least the possibility of a twofold ecclesial reality in view in the middle distance: that is, a 'covenanted' Anglican global body, fully sharing certain aspects of a vision of how the Church should be and behave, able to take part as a body in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue; and, related to this body, but in less formal ways with fewer formal expectations, there may be associated local churches in various kinds of mutual partnership and solidarity with one another and with 'covenanted' provinces.

23. This has been called a 'two-tier' model, or, more disparagingly, a first- and second-class structure. But perhaps we are faced with the possibility rather of a 'two-track' model, two ways of witnessing to the Anglican heritage, one of which had decided that local autonomy had to be the prevailing value and so had in good faith declined a covenantal structure. If those who elect this model do not take official roles in the ecumenical interchanges and processes in which the 'covenanted' body participates, this is simply because within these processes there has to be clarity about who has the authority to speak for whom.

24. It helps to be clear about these possible futures, however much we think them less than ideal, and to speak about them not in apocalyptic terms of schism and excommunication but plainly as what they are – two styles of being Anglican, whose mutual relation will certainly need working out but which would not exclude co-operation in mission and service of the kind now shared in the Communion. It should not need to be said that a competitive hostility between the two would be one of the worst possible outcomes, and needs to be clearly repudiated. The ideal is that both 'tracks' should be able to pursue what they believe God is calling them to be as Church, with greater integrity and consistency. It is right to hope for and work for the best kinds of shared networks and institutions of common interest that could be maintained as between different visions of the Anglican heritage. And if the prospect of greater structural distance is unwelcome, we must look seriously at what might yet make it less likely.

25. It is my strong hope that all the provinces will respond favourably to the invitation to Covenant. But in the current context, the question is becoming more sharply defined of whether, if a province declines such an invitation, any elements within it will be free (granted the explicit provision that the Covenant does not purport to alter the Constitution or internal polity of any province) to adopt the Covenant as a sign of their wish to act in a certain level of mutuality with other parts of the Communion. It is important that there should be a clear answer to this question.

26. All of this is to do with becoming the Church God wants us to be, for the better proclamation of the liberating gospel of Jesus Christ. It would be a great mistake to see the present situation as no more than an unhappy set of tensions within a global family struggling to find a coherence that not all its members actually want. Rather, it is an opportunity for clarity, renewal and deeper relation with one another – and so also with Our Lord and his Father, in the power of the Spirit. To recognise different futures for different groups must involve mutual respect for deeply held theological convictions. Thus far in Anglican history we have (remarkably) contained diverse convictions more or less within a unified structure. If the present structures that have safeguarded our unity turn out to need serious rethinking in the near future, this is not the end of the Anglican way and it may bring its own opportunities. Of course it is problematic; and no-one would say that new kinds of structural differentiation are desirable in their own right. But the different needs and priorities identified by different parts of our family, and in the long run the different emphases in what we want to say theologically about the Church itself, are bound to have consequences. We must hope that, in spite of the difficulties, this may yet be the beginning of a new era of mission and spiritual growth for all who value the Anglican name and heritage.

+ Rowan Cantuar:
From Lambeth Palace, Monday 27 July 2009

FINALY!!! Thank you Bishop Rowan! Now im happy! =)

Until next time...

Go with God!

Blessings

Fr John

Feast of St. James!

2009-07-26T19:36:00.017-05:00

Greetings World!

Today we celebrated the Feast day of St. James the Apostle with a High Mass! We also gave thanks to God for our new assisting Priest Fr Jon Hunter! Fr Jon got his start at St. Gabriel's years ago and has come home. He will be assigned to his own parish in the coming weeks, but we will continue to cherish the time we have with him here at St. Gabriel's! Below are photos of the event! Enjoy!!!

Until next time.

Go with God!

Blessings

Fr John =o)

AUDIO ONLINE SERMONS!

2009-07-22T22:57:00.006-05:00

Greetings gang!! I'm Baaaaaack! Well I got a treat for you! Or maybe a punishment? Depends on your point of view? Well you can now hear my sermons online! I will be posting all my sermons both my Sunday message as well as my Wednesday reflections. You will notice a link in the side bar of my Blog to my AUDIO SERMONS click on it or go here http://www.churchcloud.com/st-gabriels/ and save this to your favorites. You will find a new sermon each week! Be sure to vote on it if given the chance and leave feedback!! We want to be the best Anglican church in NW Arkansas so every bit of exposure helps! Well this weeks sermon is on church unity, hope you enjoy!

Till next time...

Go with God!

Blessings

Fr John

St Gabriel's Anglican Church Votes ACNA!!

2009-07-20T19:13:00.005-05:00

BREAKING NEWS!!!

ANNOUNCEMENT
On June 28th, 2009
the Parish of St Gabriel's Anglican Church unanimously voted to affiliate with the Anglican Church in North America - ACNA.
Thanks be to God!

Will update you all on more breaking news!

Go with God!

Fr John

Back from my Time off!

2009-04-28T13:43:00.001-05:00

Hey world, Fr John back from my vacation from the web! Got lots to report in the upcoming weeks stay tuned!!

God bless

Fr John

10 sunday after Trinity

2008-09-02T11:42:00.001-05:00

10th Sunday after Trinity

HDTV FAITH!

In today’s epistle we read “concerning the spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant,” and in the Gospel “if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.” In the collect for today we pray “let Thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy humble servants, and that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee.” For those of you unfamiliar with Anglican homiletics, let me shed some light on this for you. When writing a homily, we priests try to tie as many of the topics of that week’s readings together as possible. Rarely is it possible to get all three into your sermon: Epistle, Gospel and Collect. Today, I feel, is one of those days! Lucky me! Also, as I’m sure you know, each sermon should have a theme. So what is today’s theme? I would say the word MYSTERY sums it up well. Why mystery? Let us look at the readings. St. Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, speaks of the Corinthians being ignorant of the spiritual gifts. Later on, our Lord, after entering Jerusalem tells his people how the spiritual truths are HID FROM THEIR EYES. In the collect we pray for the grace to ask God only for what is pleasing to HIM, not us. All these are mysteries - spiritual mysteries. Our life with God is a mystery. Our spiritual lives are mysteries. This should not shock you. After all, God is spirit and truth and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. These are the very words of Jesus Himself! But what does that mean? It’s a very hard concept to grasp for humans. We are not angelic beings or pure spirits. We live in a flesh and blood corporal body. We are limited by the laws of time and space, and oftentimes our flesh does speak much louder than our spirit. So how do we live in the spirit? Well, to be honest, it’s not that complicated if you, so to speak, know the rules of the game! Life is said to be the divine comedy and we all play our role in this! But our Heavenly Father has given us so many “tools” for the journey. If I have succeeded in confusing you thus far, don’t be surprised. I often confuse myself while preparing these reflections, but bear with me. It’s not that God does not know our situation as carnal beings, after all he designed us and he ultimately knows what will fulfill us and what works and doesn’t. The problem with many Christians in search of Christian spirituality is they act as if they’re not human and they can turn religion on and off like a switch at will. This is not the case. God makes our human lives mirror our spiritual ones and vice versa. Now for the good part. I will let you in on the secret. You all are living out your spiritual side right now! Your very presence at this holy sacrifice of the Mass, testifies to this fact. And that is precisely how you live out your spiritual lives: by staying close to holy mother Church.

Jesus instituted the church to parallel your human lives by feeding your spiritual ones. Let me explain, since as a priest I play a huge role in this. In your natural life you have parents. In your spiritual life you also have parents or guardians. Just as your earthly father helps bring you into the natural world, your heavenly Father through the actions of the priest, brings you into the spiritual world through the waters of baptism. Just as your earthly father provides food for you for your life on earth, the priest will provide heavenly food for your spiritual life. This is what we are here for today: the Eucharistic food, the bread of angels! Let us continue. Your earthly father will guide you and confirm you in your choices in the world. Likewise, the priest will guide you in your spiritual formation and the bishop will confirm you in your choice to follow Christ. When you slip and make mistakes, your father is there to forgive you. The priest exercises this power when he absolves you from your sins in the liturgy or privately, in the name of God. When you fall ill and need strength or medicine, your father will see to it that you get the proper treatment and medicine. Likewise, the priest is also here to anoint you with the holy oils to bring healing both to body and soul. When you grow old enough to enter into the bonds of matrimony, once again your earthly parents will be there to witness and give their consent. Likewise, the priest receives the couple as a witness to God. And when your earthly life comes to a close, the priest is there to walk you over the threshold of the new world and hand you over to THE FATHER of us all.

Now some say, “why all this ritual”? Very simply put, “because GOD ordained it to be so”! There is not one situation that I just cited that is not taken from the Holy Scriptures! Each and every one of these was practiced by the early church and as Anglicans we have continued to practice them in an unbroken line for over 2000 years! We can try to look for spirituality in new-age religions or self-help books or the latest Christian denomination that promises all the glitz and glamour, but the fact remains that this is TRUE spirituality. This is the way God Himself ordained that His children grow close to Him, and history has proven by its tract record that those who live out their faith in this way proceed very quickly on the road to holiness and sanctity! This system has produced more SAINTS that any other system in the history of the world! How’s that for a catch phrase!? Sometimes I wish I had an info-mercial for St. Gabriel’s! I want to shout out to those who just don’t get it! Trying to live the Christian life apart from the system set up by the author of the Christian life is like watching a TV show on an old black and white television as compared to a big screen plasma high definition set! You will still see the program, but you miss all the little details and goodies on the black and white set!

Tonight, you will certainly see some of these goodies. Actually, who am I kidding, the missal mass is jam packed with these “special features”, so to say, that come with the super HD-TV set! As you sit and participate in this Eucharist, really delve deep into the mysteries lived out on the altar for your benefit. After all, these are the gifts offered to you by your heavenly Father. And if you have any questions, please set aside time to speak to your priests about any concerns or questions you may have. That’s what we’re here for. Together let us help each other grow in holiness and the spiritual life, for that is the MYSTERY our heavenly Father wishes us to live out daily!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Until next time, Go with GOD!!!

12th Sunday after Trinity 2008

2008-08-29T09:03:00.001-05:00

12th Sunday after Trinity 2008
Fr. John Slavin

Today’s sermon can be summed up in one word: HEALING. Jesus, at the request of others, heals a deaf and dumb man. When it comes to divine healings, miraculous healings, I tend to tread very carefully. It’s such a sensitive subject for so many. Many Christians believe the miracles we read of in the Scriptures no long happen today, that these were merely sign gifts used to validate the Gospel for the early followers of Jesus. We as Episcopalians reject that belief. We know all too well that Jesus still works miracles among us to this very day and will until the end of time.

I mentioned earlier how this topic is a very sensitive one for many Christians. This is because so many of us are hurting and need healing. I am very close to you all as your priest and trust me when I say that all of your hurts and sorrows weigh heavily on me. For those of you who do not know, I myself carry a heavy weight of suffering. A few years ago I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. They kept it at bay for a while, but I progressed from mild/moderate to moderate/severe. Just yesterday I was told I will have to undergo chemotherapy along with some other pretty harsh treatments to see if by the grace of God they can knock me back into remission. As you also may know, my son suffers from a severe milk allergy - one so bad that any contact with any milk product can stop his breathing. My point is I am familiar with suffering, so when one of my flock suffers I care, it’s personal, and rest assured I storm heaven every single night for each and every one of you if you ask for it or not. I celebrate Mass every single day for each of you. I am telling you this so that it will offer you some comfort in your moments of darkness. You see, Jesus does indeed heal His children, but not always they way we want. In today’s reading we read of the miracle Jesus performed on this poor deaf man. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to suffer being deaf. Jesus, the Scriptures say, SIGHED to heaven. Jesus actually groaned with compassion for this man. He felt for him. He wanted to heal him! And he did! But guess what: the man eventually did die. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and we all marvel at how lucky he was! WOW, he came back from the dead! True, but guess what: he also eventually died. This is a fact concerning each and every healing in the ENTIRE Bible, old AND new testament! Each and every person that was ever healed eventually did suffer from some other ailment at some point in their life, and yes they all eventually did come to a point of death. So what’s the point? The point is there are greater lessons in these healings than simply the healing in and of itself. Jesus did open the ears of this man, but not to hear the birds and music of this world. He opened them to hear the WORD OF GOD - Jesus Himself, the Word of God come in the FLESH! He opens the eyes of the blind to SEE the Word. And he raised poor Lazarus to foreshadow his own resurrection! There are greater truths behinds these healings than simply the healings themselves. It is why it is so offensive to me to watch a TV evangelist (so-called “faith healer”) up on a stage healing for healings sake! They miss the whole point! These people who claim to heal on TV never seem to address the fact that these very same people will eventually get sick at some point! Then what? Come back for another healing? Jesus was not some new-age healer to be used as a doctor! The true healing takes place in your SOUL, for it is the part of you that lives forever! Yes we will get our bodies back glorified at some point, and they will see no sickness and no death. That is the FINAL miracle that unlike the others WILL LAST FOREVER.

We also must remember that Scripture says “Christ learned obedience through what he SUFFERED…and left us and example to follow”. St Paul also writes, “I make up in my body what is lacking in Christ’s sufferings for the sake of the Church”. WOW! Now don’t get me wrong, nothing is lacking in Christ. St. Paul was not saying that, but what he was saying was that when we offer our sufferings to Christ, He uses them not only for us but also for his church - the BODY of Christ! As St. Paul said, “Christ is the head, we are the members. When one of us suffers we ALL SUFFER.” Next time you look at a crucifix, realize that Jesus STILL suffers today IN YOU, IN ME, IN THE POOR, IN ALL OF US. People will often ask me why I like a crucifix as opposed to a plain cross. They tell me, “Jesus is risen! Take Him off the cross!” My answer to them is “Yes, Jesus is raised and I find much beauty in a plain risen cross, BUT… He is not off the cross. Jesus will hang there as long as His Body the CHURCH suffers. I find much consolation in looking at a crucifix, knowing my Lord knows what it’s like to suffer. I can relate to His passion and agony. When I look at a risen cross I don’t always get the same feeling, for I never rose from the dead so it’s hard to relate to that. But I DO suffer. Although, I do look at a plain cross and praise God for rising from the dead for me and for you and for giving me the free gift to one day do the same through Him! So both crosses are close to my heart! Literally! I wear both of them! Depends on my mood! The moral of all this is we must learn to be content with our situation as dealt to us. We must pray in a way pleasing to our Father. Jesus gives us a perfect example in the agony in the garden. He knew what suffering awaited Him on Mount Calvary, and He prayed, “not MY will, but yours Father, be done.” We will not know why God sends us these crosses, at least not on this side of the veil of time and space, but one day we will and we will understand. There was a great analogy a priest mentor of mine taught me in one of my darkest of hours. He said God is at His purest a divine artist, and you are the medium he works through. If you can imagine a beautiful rug or needle point and you flipped it over you would see nothing but knots and confusion, tangles and chaos. You certainly would not see anything resembling any order or beauty, yet if you flipped it over you would see a beautiful pattern and work of art! That is how we view our sufferings in this life. It’s all a matter of perspective: from ours we see confusion and knots, but from God’s point of view, He sees beauty. In time we will also see the beauty.
Let me end this reflection with a beautiful prayer by St. Francis de Sales. It was given to me by a young Catholic mother dying with breast cancer. It’s titled, YOUR CROSS…

The Everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart.

This Cross He now sends you He has considered with His all knowing eyes, Understood with His divine Mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with living arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and one once ounce to heavy for you.

He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you and alms of the all merciful Love of God….

In the words of Jesus, “ If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me.” AMEN.

Till next time Go with GOD!!!

DEDICATED TO PRAYER!

2008-05-22T23:06:00.003-05:00

Hey world, I found this article on the Anglican Breviary message board and wanted to share it. I really admire this guy!! As you know us clergy are required to pray the divine office daily. It's sad how many clergy neglect this duty, so it makes me glad to see a lay person so dedicated to praying the "hours". We all can learn from his example!

From the East Valley Tribune, in suburban Phoenix, Ariz.
Shopkeeper stays true to Catholic readings
By Lawn GriffithsTribune

Steady devotion: Abraham Samandar, owner of J&M Market in Mesa, reads from a book of daily readings while walking around his store. Samandar is a devout Catholic.
Abraham Samandar was born and raised in Jerusalem, and he has read and reread the "old stories" from in and around his historic hometown.
"I have read the Bible more than 10 times," he said.
A devout Roman Catholic, Samandar blends long hours of shopkeeping with adhering to strict traditional readings of the "Libro de las Horas" (Book of the Hours), which some observant Catholics read or recite at the canonical hours. Between customers at J&M Market in Mesa, he gathers up that tattered and mended book, along with his Bible. He dutifully reads the lengthy liturgies assigned for 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. When he has no customers in the store, and that can be an hour at a time, Samandar may chant the words in that day's liturgy.
"Sometimes they are two hours, sometimes an hour, but no less than a half-hour," he says of the readings.
Samandar may walk through the store aisles for exercise, or even around the parking lot in front of his shop, as he reads the Spanish texts.
He has owned the convenience store for nine years, but has no help. It means a 14-hour day â€” a long period away from his wife and six children ages 10 to 17. He says he calls the market "J&M" for two of his children, Joseph and Mary, solid biblical names. But, then, the previous owner also called it "J&M," and that owner had told Samandar he, too, had named it for his children, Joseph and Mary.
The anemic economy shows in his business. There are a lot of one- or two-item shoppers, mostly getting cigarettes, lottery tickets, beer and snacks.
Some of regular customers don't even reach the counter before Samandar has laid down the pack of cigarettes they came to buy. No one has to say a word. Money, change and receipts are exchanged, and the patron is gone. "I know what they want” they don't ask me anymore," he said.
Samandar left Jerusalem in 1975 and went first to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, where he had family, then to Puerto Rico, where he lived for 23 years. He sold clothing house to house and became active in his Catholic parish, including serving as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, a layperson authorized to distribute the Eucharist.
He laments that he cannot carry on the same work in Arizona because of the demands of running his store. "It's a different life here," he said. "Over there (Puerto Rico), you can close your store on Sunday, or you can take two or three days, but over here, you can't. It's not like there."
Once a week, Samandar has worked things out so that his wife of 21 years, Sawsan, comes from their Chandler home and watches the store, so he can attend Mass at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church. After Mass, he's back at the market.
The storekeeper had an uncle in Jerusalem who became a priest. "Once I thought about being a priest, but I can't now because I am married," he said. "I wished God gave me another job so I could pray" Samandar's voice trailed off. "Maybe he is preparing me for something. I don't know."
As he sells cigarettes, lottery tickets and armloads of 12-packs of beer, the shopkeeper winces. "What can I do? Sometimes, it's hard for me. I see the people come in for it. I don't like it, but what can I do? It is hard."
But occasionally he helps out people who come into his market without means.
"Sometimes, they want a drink, and they don't have money, and I give something," he said. He helps children, too, but very judiciously "because, you know, now people take it in another way. So I have to be careful."
Prayer sustains Samandar.
He finds comfort in the strict rigors of the Liturgy of the Hours, a practice and obligation that has been part of the Catholic Church tradition from its early centuries. Through time, the church has added or subtracted the number of canonical hours. For example there were eight before Vatican II (1962-65), but the "prime," or early morning prayer (6 a.m.) was "suppressed," or set aside. That left the matins (during the night), lauds at dawn, terce at 9 a.m., sext at noon, none (or midafternoon) prayer at 3 p.m., vespers, or evening prayer at the "lighting of the lamps" and compline, or night prayer before retiring.
According to church history, St. Benedict of Nursia (480 to 543) set up the Liturgy of the Hours as a monastic practice. The church says canon law requires priests to pray the full liturgy each day, and deacons are to pray during the morning and evening hours.
Out of Vatican II came the call to Christian lay people to carry out the practice to deepen their faith.
Typically at the start of each of the hours, one recites, "God come to my assistance. Lord make haste to help me."
Samandar's hours book, given to him in 1995 by a Spanish priest in Puerto Rico, barely hangs together with cellophane tape, white string and the man's firm clutch. "I've used it so much. That is why you see it like this," he said.
Some days he will start his readings at 9 a.m. and not finish until 11:30 p.m. His customers and the public see him walking with his book in the store and parking lot and engages him about his faith.
His dream is that his children grow up, study earnestly and find good jobs. "I am 63. Maybe I can work five years like this, but no more," he said.
Samandar said some customers ask what he is reading, talk to him about his religion and sometimes tell him they admire the example he sets.
"I need help from God," he explains. "I want to pray. We have the best when we pray to him. He is our love."
"If I have troubles, I pray to him, and he makes it easier," said the storekeeper, who carries rosary beads in his pocket. "Always we have troubles. Always we have problems, but always he puts out his hand and helps."
Samandar looked around his store without a customer at midmorning. "I am here 14 hours every day. I don't have one day off. It's crazy, but when I pray, God gives me the patience for this. He pushes me to do that for 14 hours every day."http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/115985

Till next time! Go with God!! Blessings!!

Fr John+

COWBOY IN CHURCH!!

2008-05-22T22:58:00.002-05:00

One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible. The Church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it. The preacher gave a long sermon about hellfire and brimstone and a stern lecture on how much money the church needed to do God's work. As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what He thinks would be appropriate attire for worship." The old cowboy assured the preacher he would. The next Sunday, he showed up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the man and said, "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church." "I did," replied the old cowboy. "If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher. "Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He says He's never been in this church! AMEN!!!

Till next time..Go with GOD!

Blessings!!
Fr John+

Family!!

2008-04-26T23:42:00.002-05:00

OK world, here is my dear family. I got a lot of E-mails asking for a photo of "squishy" and the gang! So here you go! I will come back later on this week and update this post. I want to speak about the family and its place in the world, from a CHRISTIAN perspective! till then, go with GOD! Blessings!!!

Fr John +

Morning and Evening prayer

2008-04-25T20:30:00.005-05:00

Hi ya guys! Fr John here, coming to you LIVE from St Gabriel's Church office! Actually I'm just goofing off on the computer! =o) Well while searching the web I found this really nice photo of two Priests in the Congo praying morning prayer! I use to have a really cool quote from a saint that spoke of this very situation. (Unfortunately for me I left it at home in my prayer book!) Anyway it basically spoke of the amazing link we have with the church universal when we pray our daily prayers. Its true, be it a hut in the Congo or in Canterbury Cathedral, when we pray morning and evening prayer we are linked with all those Christians that have prayed those prayers before us. When we pray the Psalms we are linked with everyone who prayed them, and in a very special sense with our Lord! It's said that Jesus always had the Psalms on his lips. This is very accurate, I mean read your Gospels! He quotes them constantly! As a Jew he prayed them several times a day at fixed hours. The Church gained the practice of praying at set times from the early church. We read in the Acts of the Apostles that the Apostles went up to the temple to pray at fixed hours. Later over time the church developed this into set prayers. Later they combined them into a single volume called a Breviary (Basicly a book of prayers). Some continuing Anglicans still use the Anglican Breviary which preserves that ancient form of the prayers. Others have opted for the morning and evening offices of prayer found in the book of common prayer. It really doesn't matter which you use. The point is when you pray in this way you link yourselves to an ancient Christian practice that goes back to the time of Jesus Christ himself. It also means you are linked in a very real way with EVERY single Christian praying those same prayers somewhere in the world! And also those Christians in paradise that still pray with us (The Saints) The Church Triumphant! So next time you get frustrated praying or feel lonely, just dust off your Book of Common Prayer (Or if your really hardcore get an Anglican Breviary) and tune in to a conversation between God and man that has literally been going on for century's. Pretty cool huh? Well till next time, go with God!!! Blessings!!

Fr John +