Articles

Why the Canaanite Woman’s Story Still Unsettles and Comforts Us Matthew 15 introduces us to a Canaanite mother who comes to Jesus in a place many people considered off-limits, carrying deep concern for her daughter. Some of Jesus’ words may sound difficult at first, but the story ends with Him honoring her “great faith.” In just a few verses, God challenges our ideas about who belongs and invites every one of us to pray, “Lord, have mercy on me.” For many of us, this passage can feel unsettling. It is not a story we often find in children’s Bibles: Jesus seems quiet and distant, the disciples seem annoyed, and a child in need waits in the background. At the same time, this story has brought comfort to generations of Christians who feel like they are on the margins: people who carry painful family situations, complicated pasts, or the worry that they may not truly belong in the church. It reminds us that Jesus meets us with mercy and welcomes us just as we are.

The Significance of Audacious Prayer In Luke 11, Jesus invites us to discover the beauty of audacious prayer—a kind of prayer that’s filled with boldness and steady persistence, just like the friend who knocks at midnight in Jesus’ parable. This isn’t about barging in or making demands; instead, it’s about coming to God with confidence and trust, knowing that He listens and cares. Praying with such courage shows a deep faith in God’s goodness and reminds us that He is interested in every part of our lives, no matter how big or small. When we approach God in this way, we’re expressing our heartfelt reliance on Him and our trust that He is lovingly attentive to our needs.

Have you ever driven I-87 through New York? It’s called the Adirondack Northway, and, as highways go, its views are spectacular. The summer after my junior year I worked as a nanny for a family with three children. I even traveled with them to their summer home in the Adirondacks. They drove with the older kids in the first car, and I drove behind them in their second car, with a sleeping preschooler in the back and a chocolate lab as my copilot. I was nervous about caravaning to the Adirondacks. Would I lose them along the way? I purposely drove in silence (no music!) so I could concentrate. As I drove along the Adirondack Northway, my thoughts were hardly quiet. Huge peaks rose on either side of the highway. Each curve in the road afforded a new, awe-inspiring vista. I found myself whispering, “Oh wow,” to no one in particular. And then I found myself speaking to someone...when I realized he was speaking to me.

A couple of times in his sermon from August 1, 2021, Canon Christopher, reflecting on the Mary and Martha passage from Luke, said we needed to come close enough to hear Jesus. That begs the question, how do we come close enough to hear Him? How close is close enough?

We are learning that God does speak to each of us in a multitude of ways.

Our small group has been zooming together for sometime now. We recently read Dr. Larry Selig’s book together, Five Prayers God Loves to Answer, and we were blessed out of our socks. We’ll not hear or read The Lord’s Prayer the same again! For Lent we decided to take on the topic of “Healing” as some dear friends, Don & Anne Bloch, agreed to join our small group. Don & Anne began their healing ministry when I was rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Madison, IN during the late 70s to the mid 80’s. From there they went to work for Christian Healing Ministries with Francis and Judith MacNutt, and then on to be on the staff of a church in Jacksonville for 18 years. Anyway, our small group now reaches into Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. Don & Anne invited a good friend of theirs to join us, Greg Toole. Greg is a prayer minister with Christian Healing Ministries and has shared with us the last couple weeks about Inner Healing. Simple and Powerful What I have outlined below is a very simple and yet powerful way to pray for someone.

This year my son had a Lego Star Wars Advent calendar. Yes, such a thing exists. Each day he opened a little cardboard flap to take out the pieces of a tiny tie fighter or Darth Vader in a Christmas sweater. He loved it: every day a new discovery, something to look forward to. I need that, too.

SACRED ANTACIDS By Justin McRoberts A young man came to his priest. "I feel like something is terribly wrong in my spirit. Please help me." The priest replied, "Can you describe the feeling?" "It happens every night," the young man said. "I lie down and begin thinking over my day when a terrible feeling comes over me; a burning in my heart, like the burning the disciples felt when meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus. But when I feel it, it feels like something is wrong. It's more like a pain. It's as if God is trying to tell me something. Please, help me. What does it mean?"

A Friday Message from Sara Buffington, Worship Leader 5-9-2014

Sheryl Shaw- Global Teams This coming Sunday we are remembering the Persecuted Church. Below are a few statistics to help give a small picture of what is the reality for so many of our brother and sisters in Christ. More Christians have been martyred in the 20th century than in all the rest of church history combined. One third of the world’s people live in areas where preaching of the gospel is restricted in some way.