Dear Servants of Christ,
What a cold start to our new year here in Gainesville! I love the cold as much as anyone, but come on, this is Florida after all! Well, despite the frigid start, a new year is upon us! Have you made a re-commitment to reading Scripture daily as a part of your resolutions? The familiar Psalm verse above reminds us that God’s Word is essential to following the Lord in our daily life.
Last year at this time we shared multiple ways of incorporating the daily reading of Scripture into your routine. The feedback we received as a vestry and staff was that for some of you, this was an important step forward in your discipleship. A few years ago the vestry read a book produced by the Willow Creek Church in Illinois that found that daily Scripture reading was the number one factor responsible for spiritual growth in the life of a Christian. Even though we haven’t emphasized various tools this Advent and Christmas, my prayer is that you will continue to pursue reading Scripture as a rule of life that leads to your spiritual growth.
To that end, I want to let you all know that we will continue our weekly Evening Prayer service in our lovely chapel every Wednesday evening at 6:30. The liturgy lasts about thirty minutes and has been a blessing to many of you who have attended at some point during the trial period last fall. Our liturgy uses a selection from the Daily Office Lectionary created by the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). This link will take you there: Daily Office Lectionary.
I include that link so you may consider this new tool for daily reading yourself. Attending Evening Prayer on Wednesday could be a help in your weekly reading and also provide a place to discuss what comes up as you go through the entire Bible. Thomas Cranmer, the author of the first English Prayer Book, felt it essential to provide a way for God’s people to read through the entire Bible in a year. Our new ACNA leadership is carrying forward that vision through this lectionary. I have made a personal commitment to using the lectionary for my Scripture reading this year. Perhaps God would lead you to join me in this commitment.
Following Evening Prayer, you will be invited to look at a couple of the questions from the Catechism with some brief discussion. Anyone is free to just stay for the liturgy and depart prior to the Q&A. We may offer a similar study before or after the 9:30am service on Sundays or through a virtual study online. Stay tuned for details to follow.
Cold or not, the new year has started. May God direct your feet as you seek to follow Jesus in 2018.
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your Holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. –A Collect for the Second Sunday in Advent
Onward and Upward,
