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This month was part 1 meditation on the
"Christian Living in a Non-Christian World"
 

•St. Paul gives us an example on how to approach unbelievers.  We discussed the fact he never judges them.
 

•When Paul calls out sin and demands a change of heart is when he is speaking to believers.
 

•This does not mean that he approves of the way that unbelievers live. In his letter to the Romans, we learn that he does not condemn them for the way they live because they don’t know Jesus. He calls out Christians who believe because they know better.  When we are baptized, we die to our old life and are raised in a new one. This means we cast off our old way of living. (Ephesians)

  Read more on slides 15-23.

  This month was part 2 meditation on the
"Christian Living in a Non-Christian World" 

Put OFF the Old Life -- Put ON the New Life

We are to
    “Be imitators of God, as beloved children.”
    “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” 

    “Look carefully how [we] walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."

 

This month was a meditation on the first two words of the Creed
"I BELIEVE"

Belief and Faith.  Are they the same?

"Believe" is to accept as true or real and to credit with veracity.
Faith is more than an unshakeable belief.  Faith requires action.

  Read more on slides 16-20. 

This month we discussed Family Morning Prayer .  We had announcements and a meditation. 

 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6 

This month was a meditation on how to
ENCOURAGE YOUR CLERGY

1. Pray, pray, pray2.  Become part of the team
3. Submit to the leadership of your priest

   Read more ways on slides 16-23. 

   This month was an educational class on ANGLICAN POLITY  and the differences compared to congregational, presbyterian, connectual and papal polity. Presented by Bishop William Bower  

 There are no class slides available except on page 15-17, the TAC structure. 

Last month's meditation was on 
Forgiveness - Receiving God's Grace

• Take a minute to consider how Judas responds and how Peter responds to their situations. 
• Consider how the religious leaders responded to Judas. It makes one think of Jesus and the fig tree. How he comes to the fig tree that is full of leaves and looks as if it would have fruit but when he looks closely there is no fruit in it.
• What does that tell us how we should respond to people in crisis? What is there to offer them?

 The meditation slides are available on pages 15-21.

  Discerning God's Will

• Our Own Will vs. God's Will
• Choosing between the world and God
• We have help - The Paraclete

 The meditation slides are available on pages 13-19.

This month's meditation was on 
Reality

• 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.   In this passage, what is it that Paul is reminding us?
• Galatians 2:8-9.  It is faith in Jesus that makes us right in the sight of God, not ourselves.  Do we live reflecting this truth?
• Psalm 51:17.  We must sacrifice our will to His.  This does not mean just giving up the bad things we do but sometimes means letting go of the good things that we love.  Letting go does not mean forgetting but accepting that God “is doing better things for [us] than we can desire or pray for”. 

 The meditation slides are available on pages 13-19..

This month's meditation was PART 1 of 2 
Truth - Commitment - Authenticity

• 1 Samuel 12:20-22.   In this passage, we learn some key things about
  being in a relationship with God.
• Before all else, Samuel acknowledges the people’s wrongdoing, but he also reassures them of God’s great mercy.
• Samuel emphasizes the importance of fully dedicating ourselves to serving the Lord and prioritizing devotion to God above all else, with sincerity and total commitment,

 The meditation slides are available on pages 16-24.

This month's meditation we reflected on a variety of essays regarding women's ordination lacking foundation.

At the 1976 General Convention of the Episcopal Church, they voted to end their participation in the Apostolic Succession by approving the ordination of women.  In 1977 these ordinations began, with one of the first being a practicing lesbian.  The Church universal held that the character of ordained ministry be male for 1,943 years until this occurred.  The motivation for the shift is clear, a change in societal moral norms.  Fundamentally speaking this was a change driven by society rather than by Christ.

The ordination of men does not in any way take away from the Apostolic ministry of women.  To suggest that is the case is to ignore that it is our dogma that Mary was proclaimed by Ecumenical Council (Ephesus 431) to be the Theotokos (God bearer), Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Panagia (most holy one / most holy human) and the Queen of Heaven.  The number of women saints and of saintly women indicates a clear vocation for women that doesn’t necessitate the envy of ordination.

Again and again, we are asked to defend our position on male ordination as if we made the change.  We should cause the innovators to defend their position from a place of Scripture, Holy Tradition, and Holy Reason.
 

 The meditation slides are available on pages 16-23.