Dear Friends in Christ,
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.
To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 1:1-2)
Perhaps we will never look at the Apostle Paul’s letters in quite the same way. Paul wrote to churches in the far flung reaches of the Roman Empire with words of encouragement, words that shared his deep faith, and words that affirmed his commitment to Jesus. He wrote letters because sometimes travel to be there in person was not possible or because he was “inconveniently” confined (in prison). Could we take a page or two from Paul’s letter writing practice to share our own words of encouragement, faith and commitment to Jesus with one another?
The God that we worship chose to create this world, chose to be a part of this world in Jesus, and chose to be continually present through the power of God’s Spirit. This means that God is present in every challenge and difficulty that we face. And God seeks to bring good even in the most trying of times. We are called to be attentive and alert to the ways of God which reflect this goodness. So, I encourage us to see God’s presence among us and share this with one another.
Where is God present?
While experiencing our own form of confinement we will begin a modern-day epistle – a blog – so everyone at St. Anthony can participate. You can reach our blog, and if you wish, contribute reflections, poems or prayers by following this link:
Your turn now – Where is God present to you?
In Christ’s Love,
Dorian+
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.
To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 1:1-2)
Perhaps we will never look at the Apostle Paul’s letters in quite the same way. Paul wrote to churches in the far flung reaches of the Roman Empire with words of encouragement, words that shared his deep faith, and words that affirmed his commitment to Jesus. He wrote letters because sometimes travel to be there in person was not possible or because he was “inconveniently” confined (in prison). Could we take a page or two from Paul’s letter writing practice to share our own words of encouragement, faith and commitment to Jesus with one another?
The God that we worship chose to create this world, chose to be a part of this world in Jesus, and chose to be continually present through the power of God’s Spirit. This means that God is present in every challenge and difficulty that we face. And God seeks to bring good even in the most trying of times. We are called to be attentive and alert to the ways of God which reflect this goodness. So, I encourage us to see God’s presence among us and share this with one another.
Where is God present?
- God is visible in the countless medical personnel around the globe who are working long hours and risking personal well-being to care for the sick.
- God is present in small acts of kindness – check-in phone calls, the delivery of meals, volunteering to grocery shop for others, even in sharing toilet paper that is in short supply!
- God is present with volunteers roaming the church property to pull up weeds and keep things tidy.
- God is present with the church staff scrambling to learn the ins and outs of on-line media to keep everyone connected.
- God is present to offer us courage and strength, a love that binds and a peace that surpasses all understanding.
While experiencing our own form of confinement we will begin a modern-day epistle – a blog – so everyone at St. Anthony can participate. You can reach our blog, and if you wish, contribute reflections, poems or prayers by following this link:
Your turn now – Where is God present to you?
In Christ’s Love,
Dorian+
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