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Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4: 6 ESV
Welcome to our June 2010 1st Friday Call to Prayer. Our aim is to provide you with teaching that we trust will enhance your prayer experience and will be an encouragement to you. We will also provide you with praise items and prayer requests coming from within ANiC and the Anglican Communion worldwide.
We encourage you to set aside the first Friday, June 4th, as a day of prayer and fasting for the Church in these critical days, ideally gathering with other believers in your parish or region for corporate prayer at some point in the day
Prayer Quotes
Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men and women. Do not pray for tasks equal to your power; pray for powers equal to your task.
Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)
Giving Thanks in the Storm
I must begin this month’s meditation by asking for your indulgence as my writing has been profoundly influenced by the events surrounding Rhonda Glenn’s illness and subsequent going to be with the Lord.
Quite frankly, prior to the day of Rhonda’s funeral, I had no idea what to share in the June Call to Prayer. The people of St. George’s, Burlington, have been through a month like no other we have ever experienced, as we have walked with the Glenn family through these painfully dark and emotionally draining days. It was difficult to focus on anything else for more than a few minutes. Some of you will have walked through seasons like these in your own parish life – you will understand what I am describing.
At the funeral reception held at Crossroads last Saturday afternoon, I was sharing these thoughts with a dear friend, whose wisdom and discernment I trust, and he suggested that I share with you all the provisions that the Lord has made in preparing us for these events; all the things that we are deeply grateful for in the midst of the storm; everything that has amply demonstrated that our Lord is alive and not asleep in the back of the boat. We have lots of unanswered questions, but there are many things that we can share of God’s amazing provision for us. He is indeed our Jehovah Jireh. So that’s what I will do. Subjective? Yes. But hopefully, this meditation will carry the essence of our experience of God’s faithfulness and be an encouragement for you as well.
As we look back over the past months, it is very evident that Rhonda’s illness did not catch the Lord by surprise. He had been putting a team of people in place at St. George’s that would enable our rector, Ray David, to be at his dear wife’s side throughout the entire ordeal. God had recently provided an experienced and able pastoral assistant, the Reverend Ken Bombay, to oversee the ongoing ministry aided by three honourary assistants. Shortly before Rhonda took ill, a new administrator, Gillian Fernie, had been chosen and she has been a tremendous support to the Glenns and the rest of the staff. Our new website, www.stgeorgesonline.com was launched literally the day after Rhonda was admitted to hospital and has been an amazing communication tool in the hands of the Lord, allowing us to share Ray David’s thoughts through this time, and providing us opportunity to pray together in the online “prayer room”. No, our God was not surprised, and we are so grateful to Him for setting in place the people and tools that we have needed to continue our ministry.
We give thanks to the Lord for the provision of Christ-like ANiC leaders who demonstrated deeply compassionate care for Ray David, Rhonda and their young son, Matthew, throughout this horrific month. Bishop Charlie Masters has been such a powerful channel of God’s love, ministering with the Glenns in the hospital room, sometimes until the wee hours of the morning. In his sermon at the funeral, he offered opportunity for any present to make a first-time commitment to Jesus or a recommitment to any who felt that they had strayed away from the Lord. This was just as Rhonda would have wanted it, and there has already been wonderful fruit. The care demonstrated by Archbishop Bob Duncan in coming up from Pittsburgh to celebrate communion at the funeral was another example of Episcopal oversight at its most gracious.
Ray David and Rhonda were deeply touched by the astonishing outpouring of love and prayers from people like you through the sending of emails, text messages, Facebook posts, comments on our church website, flowers and letters. There were literally 1000’s of expressions of compassion and prayer from all around the world. The Glenns, and indeed all of us at St. George’s, were profoundly moved by the Body of Christ in action. We are so grateful to the Lord for intercessors like you.
As a parish, we are so especially grateful to the Lord for our Rector – a man of deep passion, selfless vulnerability, and incredible courage. Ray David’s poignant daily blog posts allowed us to walk with them through the darkness of those days and to pray with the most up-to-date details available. But he did not stop with just an update – there were scriptures shared and challenges offered to strengthen us in our fear and weakness. RD, as we fondly call him, addressed the 800+ who gathered for the funeral service at Queensway Cathedral in Toronto. Through his tears and with breaking voice he exhorted us by saying, “Don’t you dare use Rhonda’s dying as an excuse to back away from Jesus. In our worst hour, when everything else was stripped away, we found that Jesus is enough”. Sunday morning, the day after the funeral, he posted on his Facebook page, “Ray David Glenn and Matthew are going to figure out how to do this”. By the grace of God, yes, they will. Please continue to pray for them in the working through of their profound pain and grief.
For several months now, Ray David has been closing his comments with a quote from a passage of scripture that has come to mean a great deal to him. Let me close these personal reflections on “giving thanks in the storm” with these words from II Thessalonians that are such an encouragement to us as we seek to serve Jesus going forward with renewed vigour and passion. May they be written on our hearts in order to carry us through, no matter what we are currently facing.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.
I Thess. 5: 16-19 ESV
Garth V. Hunt
Praise God …
That He reigns over all and is fully in control.
That He never wastes suffering, but uses it for good if we allow Him to.
He loves us unconditionally, extravagantly and eternally.
That even during the darkest times, the reasons to rejoice and give thanks to God are endless.
That, while He is God Almighty, He walks through suffering with us.
That He uses suffering to draw us closer to Him, to shape our character, and refine our hearts.
That Jesus Christ was obedient, even though it meant walking through terrible suffering.
That through Christ’s death and resurrection, He won victory over sin, defeated the power of death, and defeated the enemy of our souls.
That Jesus’ victory over death we who belongs to Him will living and reign with Him for eternity.
That we do not mourn as those who have no hope, for we know that death is only a temporary separation from a fellow believer.
For our churches, for the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) and for the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
For the many ANiC “projects” and church plants – the small, but growing congregations of faithful Anglicans – He is adding to our number.
For His blessing on ANiC, for how He has led, and for the future He has planned for us.
For faithful Anglican bishops, clergy and laity – throughout the Communion – who are standing for truth even when their stand for Christ and His Word makes them targets of attack.
For the reformation God is working out in global Anglicanism – and the entire Christian Church. In the midst of chaos, He is building His Kingdom and refining His bride, the Church.
Confess if needed…
For allowing discouragement to darken our hearts and keep us from a joy-filled faith.
For not expressing our faith in God by choosing to rejoice in the midst of suffering and trials.
For not allowing suffering to press us closer to Christ
For not being persistent in prayer.
For not seeking Christ’s fellowship during times suffering.
Please pray…
That we would see suffering from God’s viewpoint and turn to Him during these difficult times.
That we would joyfully and willingly surrender to Him our ambitions, hopes and plans and hold everything we have in an open hand, recognizing that it is all His to do with as He chooses.
For those in our communities who need the Lord; that our hearts would be broken by the things that break the heart of God.
For Bishops Donald Harvey, Stephen Leung, Charlie Masters, Trevor Walters, Malcolm Harding and Ronald Ferris, and their families. Pray for spiritual and physical protection, for wisdom, and for a daily closer walk with God.
For those suffering under the attack of the enemy in our congregations and families. Pray for victory in Christ and healing where needed.
For ANiC clergy and their families, especially those experiencing spiritual and physical attack.
For the Glenn family during these dark days, as well as for their church family at St George’s.
For new and forming ANiC congregations as they attend to the many details of organizing and launching a parish – and for other congregations considering joining ANiC.
For congregations – in the Vancouver, Toronto, Niagara, Windsor, Ottawa, and Victoria areas – which have lost their places of worship or have been forced to appeal to the courts and face the possible loss of their buildings. May they demonstrate love to those who persecute them.
For the legal team and parish leaders involved in court proceedings.
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For the Vancouver-area parishes preparing for the Sept 13-16 case in the BC Court of Appeal. |
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For the case involving St Aidan’s in Windsor, ON. |
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For St George’s (Burlington, ON), Good Shepherd (St Catharines, ON) and St Hilda’s (Oakville, ON) in their dispute with the Diocese of Niagara. |
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For a change of heart on the part of the leaders of dioceses pursuing ANiC parishes. May they relent and work with parishes to reach amicable, mutually beneficial settlements. |
For Biblically-faithful Anglicans in Canada who feel isolated in liberal churches and dioceses as well as for those who feel they can no longer remain in the Anglican Church of Canada. May they find Christian fellowship and spiritual nourishment.
For the recovery of a lively orthodoxy in the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) and for those who believe they are called to remain in the ACoC to pray and work for reformation and for a renewed commitment to Jesus Christ and His inspired Word.
For the leaders of the Anglican Communion Alliance (formerly Anglican Essentials Federation), Anglican Essentials Network and Anglican Essentials Canada as they provide support for orthodox Anglicans still within the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC).
For the work of the Anglican Communion Alliance (ACA) at the ACoC’s General Synod in June and for the pre-synod ACA-sponsored cross-Canada speaking tour of Canon George Kovoor.
For those in the Zacchaeus Fellowship who are giving testimony to the liberation God offers those held captive in sexual sin; for the Anglican Church of Canada to listen to their witness.
For Archbishop Gregory Venables (and his wife, Sylvia) and the Province of the Southern Cone which graciously provided a temporary “home” for ANiC when we needed Primatial oversight.
For God’s blessing on the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA):
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For Archbishop Bob Duncan (and wife, Nara) |
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For the other ACNA dioceses, especially those with congregations in Canada: the Anglican Coalition in Canada and the Reformed Episcopal Church. |
For the orthodox Primates and bishops- especially those in the Global South – who are courageously standing for Truth. Pray for spiritual and physical protection and for discernment, grace and strength as they lead in a torn Communion.
For the Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada and for generous contributions to the malaria prevention project in Kenya.
For the Covenant process and the realignment underway in the Anglican Communion. May the Lord clearly lead and may His will be done.
For the Archbishop of Canterbury. May he pursue God wholeheartedly and seek the wisdom and discernment he needs to fulfill his responsibilities to the glory of God.
For suffering Christians around the world in conditions of persecution, war, drought, famine and poverty – especially those in Muslim countries who face discrimination, harassment and violence.
For those in authority over us. Pray for wise decisions that honour the Lord and promote the welfare of Canadian citizens. Pray also for protection for those who are in “harms way” as they serve our country. Specifically, pray:
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For those in government – both for members of Parliament creating laws and for civil servants in positions of responsibility – that they would uphold righteousness. |
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For judges in our court system who are charged with interpreting and applying laws; |
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For officers of the law and emergency response personnel who daily risk their lives for our protection; and |
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For those who selflessly serve our country in the military – as well as for their families at home.
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That God would revive us, our church and, ultimately, our nation.
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