All creatures of our God and King

All creatures of our God and King

All creatures of our God and King

Lift up your voice and with us sing
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
Oh, praise Him
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia
Thou rising moon in praise rejoice
Ye lights of evening find a voice
Oh, praise Him
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia
Let all things their creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia
Praise, praise the Father praise the Son
And praise the Spirit three in one
Oh, praise Him
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia

Words: St. Francis of Assisi | Paraphrased by William H. Draper

...your household, the Church

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

I lift up my eyes

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
    from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.

He who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

 The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
 The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
 The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time on and forevermore.

Great run up North Mtn at Shrine Mont

While at the Bishops' Conference at Shrine Mont, the Diocese of Virginia's Conference Center in Orkney Springs I had a great run up North Mountain in the drizzly rain.  Such fun, such joy...!

121   Levavi oculos
1       I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
     from where is my help to come?
2       My help comes from the Lord, *
     the maker of heaven and earth.
3       He will not let your foot be moved *
     and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4       Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
     shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5       The Lord himself watches over you; *
     the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
6       So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
     nor the moon by night.
7       The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *
     it is he who shall keep you safe.
8       The Lord shall watch over your going out and
your coming in, *
     from this time forth for evermore.

Shrine Mont bound!

At Shrine Mont, reflecting on 1 Corinthians 12, 13:1-5 - The Diocese of Virginia

I am at Shrine Mont, with the clergy and parish staff of the Diocese of Virginia, listening to the Rev. Dr. Frank Wade give a fascinating presentation about Spiritual Gifts and the Church.  We are about to reflect on 1 Corinthians 12 and consider in relation to our present contexts.  Very fascinating discussion and program...

...(and then later, a bike ride!!)

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

1 Corinthians 12

 ¹Now^(A) concerning^[a] spiritual gifts,^[b] brothers,^[c] I do not want you to be uninformed. ²You know that^(B) when you were pagans^(C) you were led astray to^(D) mute idols, however you were led.³Therefore I want you to understand that^(E) no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is^(F) accursed!" and^(G) no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.

 ⁴Now^(H) there are varieties of gifts, but^(I) the same Spirit; ⁵and^(J) there are varieties of service, but^(K) the same Lord; ⁶and there are varieties of activities, but it is^(L) the same God who empowers them all in everyone. ^7(M) To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.⁸For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of^(N) wisdom, and to another the utterance of^(O) knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹to another^(P) faith by the same Spirit, to another^(Q)gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰to another^(R) the working of miracles, to another^(S) prophecy, to another^(T) the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another^(U) various kinds of tongues, to another^(V) the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit,^(W)who apportions to each one individually^(X) as he wills.

 ¹²For just as^(Y) the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body,^(Z) so it is with Christ. ¹³For^(AA) in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—^(AB) Jews or Greeks, slaves^[d] or free—and^(AC) all were made to drink of one Spirit.

 ¹⁴For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.¹⁶And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸But as it is,^(AD) God arranged the members in the body, each one of them,^(AE) as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts,^[e] yet one body.

 ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." ²²On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored,^(AF) all rejoice together.

 ²⁷Now^(AG) you are the body of Christ and individually^(AH) members of it. ²⁸And^(AI) God has appointed in the church first^(AJ) apostles, second^(AK) prophets, third teachers, then^(AL) miracles, then^(AM) gifts of healing,^(AN) helping,^(AO) administrating, and various kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹But^(AP) earnestly desire the higher gifts.

1 Corinthians 13:1-5
 ¹If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ²And if I have^(A) prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith,^(B) so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.^3(C) If I give away all I have, and^(D) if I deliver up my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, I gain nothing. ^4(E) Love is patient and^(F) kind; love^(G) does not envy or boast; it^(H) is not arrogant ⁵or rude. It^(I)does not insist on its own way; it^(J) is not irritable or resentful

At Shrine Mont-A great run up North Mtn!

Shrine Mont soon!!

I'm looking forward to going up to Shrine Mont for our parish retreat in just a few weeks.  Shrine Mont is the conference center of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and a wonderful place.

Can't wait!!

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve...

Photo of the Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration at Shrine Mont, Orkney Springs, Virginia
Photo by Carolyn Moomaw Chilton - hat tip to John Chilton and Episcopal Cafe

Almighty God rested, and so should we!

A Collect for Saturdays

Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all you works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

For many of us, Saturday is not a day of Sabbath (rest), but rather a day of rushing around, getting to do lists done, cleaning houses and apartments, doing shopping, catching up from the week. Families have scheduled events for children and adults, sports and arts activities, and all the rest! It can be quite hard to even take a deep breath, but God does provide us rest, and it is up to us to take it. Making time to schedule "open time," "down time," and even "unscheduled time" is so essential in our rapidly paced world. I am reminded that without local, state, and federal protections, we might not have open spaces for parks, likewise, we need to designate time for Sabbath, even amidst our swirling lives and stuffed schedules.

I was recently given the gift of time for Sabbath, retreat, and refreshment along with other clergy at the Diocese of Virginia's conference center at Shrine Mont. I've posted a few pictures from that Sabbath time.

Hoping that we all take time for Sabbath today,

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey