Be Mine, prayer by Janet Mortimer

Above: Heaven's Garden by Marino Petro, marinapetro.blogspot.com

There is a garden of rest, I call you to,

A place to come to be with me,

A place to leave the world behind,

A place of love and healing mind,

Look up, kneel down, let go, be mine.

- Janet Mortimer June 14, 2013

cf. Parish Bulletin, July 7, 2013

Prayer - CBC Radio Tapestry Program

     I listened to this program on Saturday afternoon - it was very interesting!  Here's the link - I found it very interesting!

http://www.cbc.ca/tapestry/episode/2013/01/04/prayers-the-small-but-mighty/

Season 18: Episode 17

     For Hindus, Buddhists and other eastern faiths, it's the single-syllabled Om.  For Jews, it's the six words of the Shema. This week we look at prayers of few words - the small-but-mighty sayings that inspire and sustain millions.

     Pandit Roopnauth Sharma is a Hindu priest and leader of Ram Mandir temple, a community of 3,000 families in Mississauga, Ontario.   Earlier this year he shared a wonderful story with us about his struggle to release his father's ashes, as per tradition, in public waters in Canada. You can hear A Son's Journeyhere. 

< This is the symbol for Om - the one-word prayer that is packed with so much meaning

    Rabbi Joseph Meszler leads the Temple Sinai congregation of Sharon, Massachusetts.  He is the author of several books including Witnesses to the One: The Spiritual History of the Sh'ma by Jewish Lights Publishing.

     When the novelist J.D. Salinger died in 2010, much was said about Salinger' s reclusive nature - and his classic book 'The Catcher in the Rye'. But, here and there, you could find Salinger tributes by people who said his work changed their lives. They spoke of his novel Franny and Zooey, which introduced countless readers to a short prayer, The Way of a Pilgrim, often called The Jesus Prayer.  It's just nine words long:   

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Eight Ways to a Strong Prayer Life

Above from Google Images

1. Time – You must have definite, regular, frequent, adequate time. You will not find time, you must make time. Real prayer will save time!
2. Place – Find the best place to get your praying done for deepest concentration.
3. Detach and Relax! – Detach from all distractions and release all mental, emotional, and body tension caused by doubts, fears, guilt, resentments and false attitudes.
4. Selection – You can’t pray about everything at one time. Life is too complex. Select one item each time you pray.
5. Concentrate – Glittering generalities are as worthless in praying as in thinking. Be focused in prayer as well as in thinking.
6. Presence – Without real Presence there can be no real praying, only auto suggestion and subjective delusion. So learn how to realize the Presence of God whenever you wish to pray.
7. Communion – Prayer is a heart-to-heart conversation with God. Make your time count!
8. Practice! – Everyday, every hour do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, for apart from Him you can do nothing.

(Sharing magazine, A Journal of Christian Healing, Jan/Feb 2012,  reprinted{with revisions} from the June/July 1982 issue.)

cf.  Parish Bulletin, Feb. 5, 2012

What Happens When You Pray - CBC Radio DNTO

I went for a walk this afternoon and listened to CBC Radio's DNTO, it's 90 minutes long and today's topic was very interesting: "What Happens When You Pray"...There are many different ways to pray... and many different reasons to. So what is "the power of prayer" to you?  That's what we're finding out this week....
The host, Sook-Yin Lee, had many different people talking about their thoughts on prayer. 

 Photo by Kalandrakas

To link to the site go to:

http://www.cbc.ca/dnto/news-promo/2011/12/29/what-happens-when-you-pray-jan-717/

and to listen to the show go to: http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Radio/DNTO/Full_Episodes/1934303548/ID=2184268638

A Celtic Prayer



Without the Trinity

Without the Father, creation would be empty space.

Without the Son, no sacrifice to set us free.

Without the Spirit, no inspiration to embrace.

We would be nothing without the Trinity.

Were there no Father, no Son to cure this mortal land.

Were there no Son, no Spirit breathed on you and me.

Were there no Spirit, we could not feel the Father’s hand.

We would be lost without the Trinity.

Praise to the Father, for gifts beyond our right to ask.

Praise to the Son, for love we are too blind to see.

Praise to the Spirit, for showing us a heavenly task.

We find our world, our, love, our fire in the Trinity.

-        Rick Waterhouse, St. Mary Anne’s, North East, Maryland

Anglican Digest Summer 2011

cf. Parish Bulletin, Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

This Quiet House

Daytime draws towards its close,
Shadows steal across the sky,
Dusk now gathers in its cloak
Soft, lilac mists, and night owl's cry.
A fragrance lingers in the air,
Enhanced by breezes on their way,
And in our thoughts to God, we add
Our thanks, for such a perfect day!

by Elizbeth Gozney
cf. GRACE, Autumn 2010
http://www.gracepublishing.net/
ISBN 1354-5922

Sunday, June 26th Bulletin - Prayer

Testimony of Believers

Lord, when I hear what other people say you have done in their lives, their testimonies buoy my own faith. It gives me chills when I hear of the wonders of Your deeds. Give me the courage to share my testimony with others, knowing this will draw unbelievers to You and strengthen the hearts of those who already know You. Thank You, Lord, for hearing my prayer.

(From Power Prayers to Start Your Day by Donna K. Maltese, p.161)

Scripture for Healing

Luke 9: 1-2 – When Jesus had called the twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Dear Lord, May we your disciples of this parish of Alberton-O’Leary

preach the Kingdom of God and heal the sick. In Jesus’name. Amen.

Thanks be to God

Thanks be to God for all things good, for lovely trees and flowers - for all the beauty of the earth and happy golden hours - for sunsets painted in the sky - for dawns and stars above - for sleep and books - and kindly friends.

cf.  "My Garden" by Mrs. Gordon Macmillan, PEI - 1968, pg.61

St. Luke's Hall Reno

Above:  "before photo".  The hall renovations are coming along - the photos below were taken last week showing the interior work so far.  This week the Kitchen Partys resume in the Hall.

Above & Below: the rooms on each side of the stage have been taken out for more width.

 Below: Back wall kitchen, behind old cupboards, note the new insulation.

 Below: The kitchen pass-thru - all this area has been removed, including the brick chimney.  A new air-to-air heating/cooling system will be installed.