Rector's Message on Renewal
Renewal. It means taking something that works well for us and continuing it. We renew drivers' licenses and magazines that we enjoy. It also means taking something we've perhaps let slide a little and reviving, restoring and refreshing it. We renew our interest in an old hobby. We renew acquaintances with someone we haven't spoken to in a while.
When it comes to our spiritual life, whether we have one that works well or one that we've let slide, we can all benefit from renewal. We can refresh good faith practices with new effort and intensity, or replenish our faith by establishing practices that will bring us closer to God. This was the focus of the Renewal Assemblies held recently throughout the Diocese of Bethlehem: the need to renew our faith and good works through prayer.
Renewing a magazine subscription or acquaintance requires us to reach out and make contact. Spiritual renewal is no different. We need to reach out and make contact with God, and the way we as Christians do that is through prayer.
Our Episcopal faith provides us many models and resources for building our prayer lives, including daily devotions. Pausing three times a day for Morning Prayer, Noon Prayer and Evening Prayer will take less than a total of twenty minutes from your day, but will renew your connection to God each and every time you pray.
To make it easy for you to join your brothers and sisters in Christ in prayer no matter where you are, I and some parishioners at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church of Dallas created a YouTube video of Noon Prayer and a Litany for the Mission of the Church. (You can find the video here).
Make time every day to talk to God and renew your life.