Author Archives: ginny

Readings for July 3

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Zechariah 9: 9-12
Romans 7:21-8:6
Matthew 11:25-30
Psalm 145: 8-14

Collect
O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Gospel for this Sunday is well-known and of great comfort:

Matthew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This is not to say that we should kick back in a hammock with a refreshing beverage and leave our chores undone, the lawn unmowed, and our responsibilities and worries forgotten. It’s that we need not feel that we are alone in carrying these chores, worries and responsibilities, but that the load is shared with Someone who cares for us. This lightening of the load makes it possible for us to do more than we could have imagined.

In our shared ministry together, Holy Innocents and St Columba must literally pull together to get things done for upcoming events at both parishes. We must always remember that the yoke is easy and the burden is light; we’re not carrying that burden alone.

Oh no! Not another learning opportunity!

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A two-day conference on Christian Formation will be held in August in Mundelein. This was also published in the latest Anglican Advance. If anyone is interested, the information is below:

Event Date: Aug 26, 2005 9:00 AM – Aug 27, 2005 5:00 PM
Location: University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein
Contact: Anne Cothran at (312) 751-4206

The Christian Formation Network of Province V and the Christian Formation Commission of the Diocese of Chicago are sponsoring a two-day conference for those who work in formation ministry with children, youth and adults.
Learning Experiences will be interactive and include workshops, hands-on use of resources, experiencing a portion of a specific curriculum or program, brainstorming sessions for exploring questions and exchanging ideas and experiences. There will be over 50 learning experiences on topics related to adult learning, youth and young adults, children, lifelong Christian Formation, congregations, mission, peace and justice, technology, and stewardship. Participants will leave with a notebook of handouts from each of the 50 learning experiences.
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Registration fee includes lodging, meals, materials: Single $150 per person, Double $125 per person. Commuter fee includes meals and materials: $40 per person per day. Scholarships available. — Chicago Diocese — Whose Church is it anyway? Formation learning opportunity

What Is Make Poverty History

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Make Poverty History is a global, ecumenical campaign to eradicate poverty. Many other Episcopal and Anglican churches are working and praying for an end to poverty, along with many other people of faith. Ministers of 8 countries will meet July 2 in Gleneagles, Scotland to discuss matters of global importance; they are in a position to commit to a plan to reduce or forgive the debt load on poor countries, and to access to health care and disease prevention.

Every single day, 30,000 children are dying as a result of extreme poverty. This year, 2005, we finally have the resources, knowledge and opportunity to end this shameful situation. — MakePovertyHistory.org

The Church of England is one of many faiths standing together to make poverty, and for the eradication of disease and debt that are among the root causes of poverty. The Archbishop of Canterbury recently hosted a meeting of UK and US church leaders, and the following statement was issued at the conclusion of the meeting June 29th:

The London Forum, meeting at Lambeth Palace and hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, issued a final communiqu? saying that the time for change is now:

There is no place for apathy in a world which sees 30,000 children die each day because of poverty related conditions. The bible teaches that whatever we do to the poorest we do also for Jesus. We believe God judges nations by what they do to the poorest.

The Forum was attended by delegations from UK Churches organised by Dr David Goodbourn of Churches Together and Britain and Ireland; US churches organised by The Revd Jim Wallis, leader of the peace and justice network Sojourners, representatives of African led churches and representatives from faith based mission and development agencies.

A similar statement was issued at the end of the Anglican Consultative Council meeting.

Make Poverty History (UK) is aligned with The ONE Campaign (US). Many different groups of people are working together to increase awareness of the tragedy and scandal of world poverty. People on both sides of the political fence in Britain and America are literally banding together for this cause. In token of their support for the world’s poor, white band bracelets and banners are worn and shown. Videos and films have been shown on television and as ads at movie theaters to raise awareness. And of course, a series of free concerts called Live 8 will bring the attention of the world on the cause of persuading our leaders to make poverty history.

Ministers of 8 countries will meet July 2 in Gleneagles, Scotland to discuss matters of global importance; they are in a position to commit to a plan to reduce or forgive the debt load on poor countries. We are in a position to tell them that something must be done.

If you do nothing else, watch this video. It’s a short excerpt of a documentary called “The Orphans of Nkandla.”

Then find a white band and wear it, and see what else you can do.