Rogation Encouragement
Rogation Sunday Again!
Just finished watching a series on netflix, I could not stop watching about murders , assaults, the Scottish detective you could not understand, and his female assistant Miller as he called her, and of course the Church Vicar in " Broadchurch". The Vicar helped everyone. He was a listening ear, a good preacher, and got very disappointed as he got on so to speak.... The people in town took him for granted. They forgot that the parish needed them as well as him ,and at last he was leaving after several long years of ministry to the town and the people. The last Sunday he had a full Church because they knew it was time to come to church to see him off. He preached a wonderful sermon, but lamented they had not come earlier. O Vicar. But he had done so much although he did not know until the last Sunday!
Today is Rogation from the latin rogare-to ask Sunday. The three days before Ascension day on Thursday of this Rogation Week , are Monday , Tues and WED, days when the prayers for a good harvest are made as the seeds are planted. Rogare. To Ask. I ask for a good harvest, yes of the crops, but it would be one of requests of God to grant this Church a full harvest as well so that we have to open the double doors to contain all the people who come for blessings, peace and prayer! Not the last Sunday.....
AS I prayed and read the lessons ,I found the theme of encouragement. Barnabas , known as the son of encouragement , along with Paul sent funds to the brothers living in Judea Acts 11:29 Today I want us to be encouraged by some lessons from these lessons. These things are to encourage us. When we are looking down, not feeling well, and needing an encouragement the Bible does so encourage us to keep on and not give up, knowing that God is working even when it is not always seen. His work is often invisible , is it not?
The Psalm which we do not always see tells us that God made us and the heavens. " By the breath of His mouth all the heavenly hosts." vs 6 Not only in creation is His power known but " the LORD's will stands fast for ever.....an army will not save but the " eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him." " On those who wait upon His love." vs. 18 Earlier in the same Psalm we read, " the LORD brings the will of the nations to naught; he thwarts the design of the peoples." vs 10
1. Our plans, God's plans. Disappointment-His Appointment as my great-grandfather , DR Morgan in England and had churches in the US used to say. It is like the picture God is creating...the pieces of the puzzle do not make any sense to us, but someone said they shook them all up, and the face of Jesus appeared as the pieces went together. Encouragement no. 1------He is working His plan in the world and in our town, and in our areas, and in our church, and in the ACNA. ..the Anglican Church. All the problems, struggles, struggles and problems go together to form what He has caused. He overules the bad things in our lives because we love Him and are called according to His purpose so that His good will may come for His people.
2. The Gospel tells us that " You did not choose Me, but I chose You and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." John 15: 16 The disciples are not of our making and followers . They are His creation.
We may till the ground, sow the seed of the Word , and even plant it , but it is God who brings the harvest, not us. I Corinthians 3 reminds us, " I have planted, Apollos watered; But God gave the increase." 3:6
3. Encouragement- from the Gospel . the love we have is because He first loved us. I John 4:19 . We love God and must also love our brother. 4:21. But He first loved us. This is why and how we can love others. Henri Nouwen in Sister, Brother- Life Together in Christ said he started out with the wheel and the spokes. The hub is God. " The closer we come to God the closer we come to each other. The basis of community is not primarily our ideas, feelings, and emotions about each other but our common search for God."
How can these things and truths so encourage us as we journey toward the end of our lives and the beginning of His kingdom forever together!
Amen. Asking Sunday, and what are we asking for?
Just finished watching a series on netflix, I could not stop watching about murders , assaults, the Scottish detective you could not understand, and his female assistant Miller as he called her, and of course the Church Vicar in " Broadchurch". The Vicar helped everyone. He was a listening ear, a good preacher, and got very disappointed as he got on so to speak.... The people in town took him for granted. They forgot that the parish needed them as well as him ,and at last he was leaving after several long years of ministry to the town and the people. The last Sunday he had a full Church because they knew it was time to come to church to see him off. He preached a wonderful sermon, but lamented they had not come earlier. O Vicar. But he had done so much although he did not know until the last Sunday!
Today is Rogation from the latin rogare-to ask Sunday. The three days before Ascension day on Thursday of this Rogation Week , are Monday , Tues and WED, days when the prayers for a good harvest are made as the seeds are planted. Rogare. To Ask. I ask for a good harvest, yes of the crops, but it would be one of requests of God to grant this Church a full harvest as well so that we have to open the double doors to contain all the people who come for blessings, peace and prayer! Not the last Sunday.....
AS I prayed and read the lessons ,I found the theme of encouragement. Barnabas , known as the son of encouragement , along with Paul sent funds to the brothers living in Judea Acts 11:29 Today I want us to be encouraged by some lessons from these lessons. These things are to encourage us. When we are looking down, not feeling well, and needing an encouragement the Bible does so encourage us to keep on and not give up, knowing that God is working even when it is not always seen. His work is often invisible , is it not?
The Psalm which we do not always see tells us that God made us and the heavens. " By the breath of His mouth all the heavenly hosts." vs 6 Not only in creation is His power known but " the LORD's will stands fast for ever.....an army will not save but the " eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him." " On those who wait upon His love." vs. 18 Earlier in the same Psalm we read, " the LORD brings the will of the nations to naught; he thwarts the design of the peoples." vs 10
1. Our plans, God's plans. Disappointment-His Appointment as my great-grandfather , DR Morgan in England and had churches in the US used to say. It is like the picture God is creating...the pieces of the puzzle do not make any sense to us, but someone said they shook them all up, and the face of Jesus appeared as the pieces went together. Encouragement no. 1------He is working His plan in the world and in our town, and in our areas, and in our church, and in the ACNA. ..the Anglican Church. All the problems, struggles, struggles and problems go together to form what He has caused. He overules the bad things in our lives because we love Him and are called according to His purpose so that His good will may come for His people.
2. The Gospel tells us that " You did not choose Me, but I chose You and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." John 15: 16 The disciples are not of our making and followers . They are His creation.
We may till the ground, sow the seed of the Word , and even plant it , but it is God who brings the harvest, not us. I Corinthians 3 reminds us, " I have planted, Apollos watered; But God gave the increase." 3:6
3. Encouragement- from the Gospel . the love we have is because He first loved us. I John 4:19 . We love God and must also love our brother. 4:21. But He first loved us. This is why and how we can love others. Henri Nouwen in Sister, Brother- Life Together in Christ said he started out with the wheel and the spokes. The hub is God. " The closer we come to God the closer we come to each other. The basis of community is not primarily our ideas, feelings, and emotions about each other but our common search for God."
How can these things and truths so encourage us as we journey toward the end of our lives and the beginning of His kingdom forever together!
Amen. Asking Sunday, and what are we asking for?
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