The Power of Persevering Prayer
April 28, 2008
“But why … does it often take so long for the answer to prayer to come? And why must God’s own elect so often, in the middle of suffering and conflict, cry day and night? He is waiting patiently while He listens to them. … Our great danger, in this school of the answer delayed, is the temptation to think that, after all, it may not be God’s will to give us what we ask. If our prayer be according to God’s word, and under the leading of the Spirit, let us not give way to these fears. Let us learn to give God time. God needs time with us. If only we give Him time, that is, time in the daily fellowship with Himself, for Him to exercise the full influence of His presence on us, and time, day by day, in the course of our being kept waiting, for faith to prove its reality and to fill our whole being, He Himself will lead us from faith to vision; we shall see the glory of God. Let no delay shake our faith. Of faith it holds good: first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Each believing prayer brings a step nearer the final victory. Each believing prayer helps to ripen the fruit and bring us nearer to it; it fills up the measure of prayer and faith known to God alone; it conquers the hindrances in the unseen world; it hastens the end. Child of God, give the Father time. He is patiently listening to you. He wants the blessing to be rich, and full, and sure; give Him time, while you cry day and night. Only remember the word: ‘I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.’ (Luke 18:8)” ~ Andrew Murray, The Power of Persevering Prayer
Global Day of Prayer
April 27, 2008
Pentecost Sunday, May 11th, is the Global Day of Prayer. Father Chip will participate in the San Antonio observance at the Alamo Convocation Center at 6:30 PM.
The Global Day of Prayer will be preceded by ten days of constant prayer. You can download a prayer guide to use in your prayers during the ten days.
Bible Study Flyer
April 25, 2008
Download a flyer about the Beth Moore Bible Study - Jesus, the One and Only - beginning April 29th.
Liturgy Lesson for St. Mark the Evangelist: The Great Heavenly Parokia
April 25, 2008
The Church has set aside saints’ days, (such as St. Mark we commemorate today) in honor of the first martyrs, and those mentioned in the Gospel as most nearly connected with our Blessed Lord in the work of establishing His Church, and in honor of all those who have given their lives for cause of the true Faith of the Church. They’ve been established for us to study and emulate their virtues and thank God for their examples. It is important to note–we don’t pray to the saints or address them directly in devotion, but, rather, we may ask our Heavenly Father for our share of their prayers in Heaven. The first record we have of a saints’ day comes from the second century, although it probably existed far earlier. The practice grew from ancient Christians meeting at martyrs’ graves on the anniversaries of their deaths for the Faith Eternal to celebrate their Godly virtues and bless God for their pure lives and heroic examples. The great truth for us in observance of saints’ days is that the saints on Earth are fellow-citizens with the saints in paradise, and all, whether living or dead, are members of one great Heavenly parokia, or parish—the family of God—the Communion of Saints. Like Christians we meet, our spirits can “bear witness” with the saints, because we resonate on Christ’s spiritual frequency—one Faith and one Baptism for the remission of sin. We are all rewired to our Lord’s specification. And, we can take joy in that we are empowered, just as St. Mark was—to preach the Gospel, regardless of the cost. And, like him, we have a great company with us to God’s purpose in our lives. For the Kingdom!
Beautify All Saints
April 25, 2008
Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3 are designated work days to beautify All Saints. Help trim trees, stretch carpet at the altar, repair pews and kneeling rails, and remove weeds/grass—and enjoy fellowship!
I can do all things …
April 24, 2008
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ~ Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
I can do all things doesn’t mean mind over matter, it means Christ in circumstance. ~ Pastor J. D. Hatfield, Voice of Vision
Add Names to the Prayer List
April 21, 2008
Now you can add names to the prayer list online. Just go to the Members page - http://allsaintsanglican.net/members/ - type in the name and select the category. The name will be added to the list for the next Sunday’s service.
You will know that the form was processed when an acknowledgement appears in place of the form.
The prayer list is purged the first Sunday of each month, so you will need to resubmit names at the beginning of next month if the need continues.
Anniversary: Karyn Pleake
April 20, 2008
I write this to all who have stood with us through this last year and continue to stand with us still. It is also written in recognition of God’s continued grace in which I and my family walk.
It’s been one year since I went into the hospital for what was to have been a routine hernia repair. Continuing to be amazed by God’s providence, I know it is no casual observation that my birthday fell on Resurrection Day this year.
But the trial didn’t begin just one year ago. It began five years ago when a routine emergency appendectomy was the beginning of my health struggles. I was healthy— no problems, active until that pivotal day. What we didn’t know was that I was left with a hidden infection that would leak slowly into my system, wreaking havoc for the next four years. It remained undetected through two surgeries. It would take a punctured intestine, septicemia, coma and near death to find and expunge it from a fist-sized cavity that had developed.
We are forever changed by these events. Our characters formed, molded, and pruned by the inevitable possibility of “what if…” By all signs my survival was less than hopeful. Even Christian doctors were telling my family to prepare themselves for my death. That’s according to man’s laws. However, God’s destiny for our lives far outweighs man’s law.
When my doctor was apologizing and telling Larry what had happened and that it was out of her hands, God assured Larry that it was not unto death. Larry lived on that for the next month. However, getting to the point of recovering was like the frontlines of a physical and spiritual war.
There were scattered moments of consciousness, and eventually I could put a few words and thoughts together. I had to begin to process what had happened to me by bits and pieces. My faith has always come easily to me in other trials. This time I had no control over my faith; I could not “work it up.” I knew the word God, I knew of my history with God, and I knew He was in control. I could not remember the Lord’s Prayer, and I could not remember Scripture. I had to just…exist, remain vulnerable (very hard for me). I could not lift my hands to scratch my nose. I could not turn or feed myself. I also could not control my breathing to speak properly—I sounded like Katherine Hepburn in On Golden Pond. As time progressed, things got better. But never back to normal.
I was released from the hospital after one month. No one, not even the doctors, knew what my recovery would look like or how long it would take. According to the doctors, I have another six months until I fully recover. It has been a day-to-day adventure. Sometimes forward, sometimes backward … but always further away from what happened.
TRUST is always a big hurdle in a Christian’s walk. It seems easiest to trust God when it is necessary or convenient. We want to think of ourselves as temperate, self-controlled, self-sufficient, self-providing —whoa! That’s a lot of self.
God can allow one domino to be pushed and our whole concept of ourselves topples and we are left scrambling to put it all back together. In our rushing and scrambling, we often forget that maybe since it (preconceptions, ideas, identities, etc…) could be toppled in the first place, perhaps the structure or what it was built upon was not solid or had weaknesses.
Please allow me to illustrate. Concrete that is used in custom-built homes takes time to dry and cure. This ensures that the concrete will be dense and less likely to have any fissures or air trapped within. This foundation is so important to the builder that sometimes he will let it dry/cure for six months or more. He wants to be sure that what he is building the house upon will withstand the pressure from both the environment and the house itself. The foundation is crucial. If our foundation has elements in it that will cause the house that the Lord is building to be unsound, then it needs work. One of the biggest fissures or weaknesses to a firm foundation is lack of TRUST.
Some of our emotions such as anger and fear have their solutions or healing based in TRUST. God tells us “TRUST, do not be afraid.” He told Joshua several times before he took responsibility for leadership after Moses, “Be strong and of good courage” (Joshua, chapter 3). How many times in Psalms does David lay out his fear and anger before God, then he himself answers “But yet I will trust You, I will praise You” (paraphrased, Ps 56:3,4; 71:4,5; 91:1-4…).
We can always look to the book of Job for examples in suffering for unknown reasons. Job loved God. What did he do wrong? Nothing. He was allowed to be sifted. He lost family, friends, and wealth. Even in his agony, he cries out, “Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15). I am no better and no more righteous than any that have gone before me that have been sifted and tried. But I am just as loved and jealously watched over. God wants us to know Him—no other crutches to lean on, no self-sufficiency. Those all have limits. He does not.
TRUST does not come with the blink of an eye nor can you go through the local drive-through and order it up or “king size” it. A history must be built between the Creator and the created, often tenuous at first from the created’s point of view. With experience, time, and the willingness to be shaped and formed, it becomes a bedrock of unshakable faith in the Author and Finisher of that very faith.
To build TRUST takes trials. Not everyone has the same trials, and we cannot compare them. Some may look at our lives and wonder why we continue or how our marriage could have withstood and even grown stronger through all the stresses. But I look at others and their trials and think similar things. The Almighty is the only one that can determine what constitutes a trial in a person’s life that will produce the character that reflects one who is totally devoted to Him. Only He knows the hearts of man.
Working out these trials is not always a nice neat process. I have experienced the cushioning and buffering that my brothers and sisters in Christ provide. I am often referred to by friends from all different walks as a WYSIWYG: What you see is what you get. I cannot hide my squirming, anxious, frustrated feelings sometimes, and they are all there for all to see. But friends have been there to cover me, to hide me, to protect me, to encourage me, to lift my arms in times of battle. Not to question why the trial is so long or so big but just to be there in the trial with me. With me to wipe my tears, to hear yet another frustrated sob session or prayer request.
I have been truly blessed in this lifetime to have experienced the enfolding of the body of Christ. Our family was lifted up by hundreds of people all around the U.S. I am overwhelmed to think of it and words fall short of the expression of awe and thankfulness. There will be a day when I feel that furnace door open and the breath of God like a cool breeze will wash over me and I will hear “It is finished. Well done, thy good and faithful servant.” And all who have stood with us will join in the rejoicing.
My love and unending thankfulness to you all…Karyn Ann MIRACLE (yes, it’s really my name) Pleake
Putting Our Lives in God’s Hands: Caitlyn Pleake
April 20, 2008
I have been educating the children, ages four to six years, for the past month and a half. These children are eager to learn about God, and they memorize their Scriptures diligently. Their faith and trust is quite impressive.
As young Christians get older, they lose the understanding they had as children and the ability to not put God in a box. They also lose a large amount of their trust in God as they enter the tough trials of this world. This is disheartening, because it is the exact opposite of what God wants his sheep to do. He wants us to grow continuously and constructively closer to Him.
Over the past five years, I’ve experienced many trust-testing trials. When I was nine years old, my mother (Karyn) had a perforated appendix. I forget how many days my mother stayed in the hospital, but the most vivid thoughts that haunt my mind are the anger and distrust towards God and the sight of my mother being home on Christmas Day.
The next four years really took a toll on my family. After my mother’s run-in with appendicitis, she developed a football-size hernia the very next year. Life was hell for her. There wasn’t a day when she wasn’t in excruciating pain. Cleaning the house, doing chores, and helping Caleb with his schoolwork fell to me even though I had my own school work to do. These activities fell to me because Dad was working and Mom was always tired and in pain. Honestly, I didn’t mind the work; I just wanted Mom not to be in pain.
But as the years continued, Mom’s pain did not cease. Over 50% of my trust in God had diminished. Yes, I knew He was there, but it felt like we were in a pit we couldn’t escape. I prayed to God almost all day, constantly. It felt like God was ignoring me. But he wasn’t. He listens to our prayers; we just need to trust Him.
Finally in February, 2007, Mom, Dad, Caleb, and I were all sitting in the living room praying. As if on cue, all of us received a sense of dread. We had no idea what it was about. I continuously begged Mom to promise me she would come home that week. She couldn’t. The next day, Mom went to the hospital for routine hernia repair. The surgery was proceeding undisturbed until a small piece of mesh that had fused into the side of her intestine caused the intestine to rip. Everything took a turn for the worse.
Instead of staying in the hospital for a few days, Mother stayed an entire month. During that month, my Uncle Bill came to help. On the day that my grandmother Ann was to arrive and our uncle left, our cat had four lovely kittens. At that point, I realized that God hadn’t left, but what I didn’t realize was a test of my obedience and respect was about to take place.
I have never had a very close relationship with my grandmother and I regret it. While she was here, many things were said that hurt our relationship even more but I was required to obey her. Every time I heard those hurtful utterances, I’d go sit under trees with my two favorite kittens. While holding those little wriggling fur balls, I’d listen to the rustle of the leaves and the sound of the passing cars. All I had to do was listen and forget all my worries, and I could feel a peace that warmed me. But my trust in God still wasn’t there.
Many times we didn’t go to church. This made life worse. Church is what I had really needed. The knowledge that people around you are praying for your family is quite a comfort. At that time, my only comfort was seeing Dad, Caleb, and the kittens. The comfort I needed and wanted from God wasn’t there.
Mother’s birthday came and went. On her birthday we had a celebration of not only her birthday but her being alive and walking. The very next week Mom was able to come home. We had to give the kittens and Miss Kiddy away. I trusted God, and I knew He would take care of our little fur balls and my family.
Just last month, we learned Mom has two more hernias (caused by the surgery). The doctors will not perform surgery because of all the scar tissue she has. Once I heard this I really started noticing the children’s trust in God. They fully understand that He’ll take care of them and they don’t worry about those things. I wish my trust was as strong as a child’s, but I know that until I let God take control of my life, I won’t have complete trust in Him.
My point is that no matter what we go through, even if it involves a death, we need to trust God or we will be miserable. We are continuously figuring out how to be submissive to God. Yet we don’t do it. “We need to come to the Lord as children,” says our dear Fr. Chip. And do we? Even those who have been Christians all of their lives struggle with trusting God completely. We have to build each other up and put our lives in God’s hands.
Family Testimony: Larry Pleake
April 20, 2008
Note: The next two testimonies of God working in our lives come from a mother and daughter. The comment below is from husband/father.
My wife Karyn and my teenaged daughter Caitlyn both wrote on trust independently of each other! Neither read the other’s work. You think God is trying to tell good ole hard-headed me—or all of us—something?
