Friday, October 09, 2009

This evening I walked into a church


The former congregation has left. The Episcopal Church is too diverse and messy for their taste. Of their future they affirm "Nothing will change about this Church, Christ's and ours, except it will be totally obedient to Jesus Christ and His eternal Word in witness before a watching world."

May they indeed be faithful witnesses to Christ.

Tomorrow I will be preparing to open the doors on Sunday and welcome "whosoever will." If even one other person shows up we will celebrate Eucharist.

I ask your prayers.

For all who have ever worshiped in that place.

For those who have walked away.

For those yet to enter those doors.

May we all find and be found by the One who is the lover of our souls.

--the BB

7 comments:

Jane R said...

Oh Paul, what a blessing. For all with whom you will minister and for you.

May the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Tambien le pido a la Virgencita que la paz sea con todas y todos.


P.S. Word verification: ingsaugi (which sounds like a Native word to me, but from East/North of you)

Paul said...

Ingsaugi back at ya, Jane dear, and thanks for the prayers.

Kirstin said...

Wow. Prayers, of course, for you and all who enter--and also for those who don't.

Blessings.

Brian R said...

Praying

Paul said...

Thank you all.

This is an incredible mission field. Our Saviour is the only Episcopal church in the SW quadrant of Albuquerque, combining the older South Valley with its heavily Latino immigrant population and the burgeoning new housing tracts further west encroaching up the mesa (where I live).

I am a mass priest who needs to keep his day job; we need a ministry team. Storm heaven, folks!

Jane R said...

Make signs and leaflets in Spanish and have a Spanish or bilingual Mass!

Paul said...

LOL, Jane. Ya think? We will work on getting a Spanish Mass going. I have already announced even the English Mass in Spanish on the hand-lettered sign. Some dust needs to settle, we need to see what the Standing Committee says. Some have vision and some have no enthusiasm.

Storm the gates of heaven, my prayer warriors!

With our mission in the north valley there was a dedicated, intentional core group of lay people involved form the beginning. Here we are starting with a building and a priest but no community. None, zip, zero, nadie.