Friday, July 25, 2008

A Prayer For Times Of Leisure



For the Good Use of Leisure

O God, in the course of this busy life,
give us times of refreshment and peace;
and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds,
that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

from the Book of Common Prayer

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Jesuits-Canoes-MSJ-Kayaks


Painting depicts Father Marquette arriving at St. Ignace in the Straits of Mackinac. The missionary/explorer loved the wilds of northern Michigan and called the area home.

After a long, hot day of working on the church, Fr. Tom and Bishop Fred head out in the spirit of those early Jesuit missionaries for a trip down the Au Sable.




Hope Anglican - Oscoda, MI


Last year, the people of Hope Anglican Church in Oscoda, Michigan settled into, what was for them, a new facility. The parish has been worshiping in the parish hall.

The sanctuary is the oldest church building in Oscoda and the parish faces the enormous challenge of bringing the old church back back into service. Two pallets of roof shingles are stacked in the parking lot awaiting installation next month. A new furnace will need to be installed before winter comes. The interior of the church reflects decorating from the 1950's and had only been used as a youth recreation center before being completely shuttered years ago.

So, where to begin?

Following hours of cleaning, a beginning had to be made somewhere. The high curved ceiling and the walls of the sanctuary draws the eye. The apse was cleaned, patched, sanded and finally painted. The original cross was hung again on the gleaming wall. A beginning.

The original pulpit, altar, reredos, and credence have been carefully preserved and will again be restored to their places.

Faced with a big challenge, it often seems difficult to know where to begin, but a beginning must be made somewhere and so it has at Hope Anglican.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

GAFCON Reflections

I couldn't attend GAFCON in Jerusalem this summer. My friend and colleague, +Richard Boyce did go and I am grateful he was able to represent us. Some of us had to man the home front but we watched and read of the event and the reports issued with keen interest. As the GAFCON meeting was finishing up and the Jerusalem Statement was being released to the world, I found myself in Texas and New Mexico, doing the work God has given me to do. In Texas, we studied the Bible together and found a renewed passion for the person of Jesus Christ and the power of the Gospel of the Kingdom in the Gospel according to St. Mark. (see story below)

A flight to New Mexico was to follow. Delayed by storms and during a two hour wait in a hot plane, stuck on the run way, I felt a bit like the disciples trying to cross the Lake and being met with storms. Mark's gospel came altogether too alive. The storms finally moved on and although late into the night, Fr. Shawn and Tammy Rainey and I were finally underway.

I was to be in New Mexico to meet up with a community of Anglican faithful in Los Lunas. Their pastor, Marc Wilson, is a man of God, husband, school counselor, father of four, friend of seemingly everyone in town. Preaching, celebrating, confirming, receiving new members, sharing the peace, singing the songs of worship, Los Lunas felt a long long way from Jerusalem. And yet....

As I moved to distribute the hosts, the faces just kept coming. Mostly brown, some black, some white, and all the faces of God's redeemed children. Some were older, but most were young and they just kept coming. Anglican Christians. The people of Jesus. The Holy Spirit was upon them.

At a time when I likely could not have been any farther away from Jerusalem and GAFCON geographically, it just didn't matter that I wasn't there in person.

I was in Los Lunas, New Mexico with the people of God and it was good.

+Frederick G. Fick

Cluster Gathering In Texas




Missioners of the Society, along with friends and invited guests, gathered last weekend for two days of fellowship, prayer, encouragement and continuing education. Our special guest was the Right Reverend Win Mott of Deming, New Mexico.

Focusing on proclaiming the Gospel, our exegetical study worked through the book of Mark and the unique way in which St. Mark tells us the story of Jesus. Thank you Church of the Holy Trinity, Hurst for hosting and special thanks to Bishop Win for sharing your joy with us.






















Contact Information

11195 S. Grayling Rd.
Roscommon, MI 48653

Telephone: 586-264-6044
msjanglican "at" yahoo.com