Guest Preacher Last Sunday

SW Region Missionary

Southwest Region: The Rev. Carlos de la Torre

Statement: I'm excited to work together on collaborative projects and initiatives in the Southwest Region. The wealth of knowledge and resources are abundant in our region but so are the challenges. I look forward to gathering as body to further engage God's mission and continue to serve God and God's people in our parishes, our region, and the world. 

 

Bio: I am a priest in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. A native of Peru, I was raised in Westchester County, N.Y. In 2012, I graduated from Manhattanville College, Purchase, N.Y, where I majored in philosophy and world religions. That same year, I began a master's program at Virginia Seminary, Alexandria, VA. In 2015, I graduated from Virginia Seminary and was ordained a priest on the Feast of the Presentation of Blessed Virgin Mary. I have worked with parishes and community agencies in Yonkers, N.Y; Houston, TX; Alexandria, VA; Washington D.C; and in Stamford and New Haven, CT. 

 

Currently I serve as a missional curate in ECCT working with parishes, agencies, and community members to engage God's mission in new and creative ways.

Prayers for those affected by Hurricanes/Flooding

Heavenly Father, in your Word you have given us a vision of that holy City where the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea: Behold and visit, we pray, the cities of the earth devastated by flooding. Sustain those displaced by storms with food, drink, and all other bodily necessities of life. We especially remember before you all poor and neglected persons it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them; that, among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, we may ever be defended by your gracious and ready help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. 

Lord, you who calmed the storm at sea, quiet the fears, ease the pain, tend the grief, and light the darkness of your children affected by Irma. In stunned silence, be their voice. In rages against the night, be their balm. In bewilderment, be their hope. Lead rescuers to the lost, shelter the waiting. Sustain those who work to make life's necessities spring forth in this desert of gloom. Blanket the weary with your tender touch. Shake us from our comforts to share out sisters and brothers' sorrow and burden and assist and pray them into new life. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus, who suffered and was raised to new life. Amen.

Human Sexulaity & #ConnecticutStatement

You may have heard of the Nashville Statement that came out this past week. It was written by the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood "in the hope of serving Christ’s church and witnessing publicly to the good purposes of God for human sexuality revealed in Christian Scripture, we offer the following affirmations and denials."

The reaction from some quarters:

https://www.christiancentury.org/blog-post/born-again-again/opposing-nashville-statement

https://thinkprogress.org/are-evangelicals-inventing-a-new-form-of-christianity-all-about-sex-46ff64454c8f/ 

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/evangelicals.and.the.nashville.statement.what.is.the.point/112827.htm

Other statements have been written:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nadiabolzweber/2017/08/the-denver-statement/

http://www.theliturgists.com/statement/  (I am also a signer on this statement)

Several clergy in Connecticut published a response to Tuesday’s release of the “Nashville Statement." The Connecticut clergy group published what they describe as a “much more theologically sound and expansive statement.” The Rev. Adam Yates, rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in East Haddam, wrote, “While it started as a project among some Connecticut clergy, it has now expanded through signers to include people from all over the country," lay and ordained. I helped with the statement and am one of the signers...

"An Open and Affirming Vision for God's People Across the Christian Church"

The Connecticut Statement - https://connecticutstatement.org/

Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Each year, from 1 September, the Global Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to 4 October, St Francis of Assisi Day, many Anglicans use the Season of Creation – also known as Creation Time – to pray and celebrate with creation, focus on the story of Earth, and commit to a ministry of healing Earth.  In 2017: This year Anglican Communion Environmental Network is partnering 'Green Faith’ with: the Global Catholic Climate Movement, Christian Aid, the Pope’s Prayer network and the World Council of Churches to promote the Day of Prayer and gather resources to assist all faithful people to take part in the Season.

Prayers:

God, creator of the universe,
Fill us with your love for the creation,
for the natural world around us,
for the earth from which we come
and to which we will return.
Awake in us energy to work for your world;
let us never fall into
complacency, ignorance,
or being overwhelmed by the task before us.
Help us to restore, remake, renew. Amen.

Jesus, Redeemer of the World,
Remind us to consider the lost lilies,
the disappearing sparrows;
teach us not to squander precious resources;
help us value habitats: seas, deserts, forests
and seek to preserve this world in its diversity.
Alert us to the cause of all living creatures
destroyed wantonly for human greed or pleasure;
Help us to value what we have left
and to learn to live without taking more than we give.
Amen.

Spirit of the Living God
At the beginning you moved over the face of the waters.
You brought life into being, the teeming life
that finds its way through earth and sea and air,
that  makes its home around us, everywhere.
You know how living things flourish and grow
How they co-exist; how they feed and breed and change
Help us to understand those delicate relationships,
value them, and keep them from destruction. Amen

God, of the living earth
You have called people to care for your world
you asked Noah to save creatures from destruction.
May we now understand how to sustain your world
Not over fishing, not over hunting,
Not destroying trees, precious rainforest
Not farming soil into useless dust.
Help us to find ways to use resources wisely
to find a path to good, sustainable living
in peace and harmony with creatures around us.
Amen

Jesus, who raised the dead to life
Help us to find ways to renew
what we have
broken, damaged and destroyed:
Where we have taken too much water,
polluted the air, poured plastic into the sea,
cut down the forests and soured fertile soils.
Help all those who work to find solutions to
damage and decay; give hope to those
who are today working for a greener future.
Amen.

from Anne Richards, Mission Theology Advisory Group - www.ctbi.org.uk

The world has been created for everyone's use, but you few rich are trying to keep it for
yourselves. For not merely the possession of the earth, but the very sky, the air, and the
sea are claimed for the use of the rich few. ... The earth belongs to all, not just to the rich. 
~ St. Ambrose of Milan (340-397)

JOINT MESSAGE OF THE POPE AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH ON THE WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR CREATION

The story of creation presents us with a panoramic view of the world. Scripture reveals that, “in the beginning”, God intended humanity to cooperate in the preservation and protection of the natural environment. At first, as we read in Genesis, “no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up – for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground” (2:5). The earth was entrusted to us as a sublime gift and legacy, for which all of us share responsibility until, “in the end”, all things in heaven and on earth will be restored in Christ (cf. Eph 1:10). Our human dignity and welfare are deeply connected to our care for the whole of creation.

However, “in the meantime”, the history of the world presents a very different context. It reveals a morally decaying scenario where our attitude and behaviour towards creation obscures our calling as God’s co-operators. Our propensity to interrupt the world’s delicate and balanced ecosystems, our insatiable desire to manipulate and control the planet’s limited resources, and our greed for limitless profit in markets – all these have alienated us from the original purpose of creation. We no longer respect nature as a shared gift; instead, we regard it as a private possession. We no longer associate with nature in order to sustain it; instead, we lord over it to support our own constructs.

The consequences of this alternative worldview are tragic and lasting. The human environment and the natural environment are deteriorating together, and this deterioration of the planet weighs upon the most vulnerable of its people. The impact of climate change affects, first and foremost, those who live in poverty in every corner of the globe. Our obligation to use the earth’s goods responsibly implies the recognition of and respect for all people and all living creatures. The urgent call and challenge to care for creation are an invitation for all of humanity to work towards sustainable and integral development.

Therefore, united by the same concern for God’s creation and acknowledging the earth as a shared good, we fervently invite all people of goodwill to dedicate a time of prayer for the environment on 1 September. On this occasion, we wish to offer thanks to the loving Creator for the noble gift of creation and to pledge commitment to its care and preservation for the sake of future generations. After all, we know that we labour in vain if the Lord is not by our side (cf. Ps 126-127), if prayer is not at the centre of our reflection and celebration. Indeed, an objective of our prayer is to change the way we perceive the world in order to change the way we relate to the world. The goal of our promise is to be courageous in embracing greater simplicity and solidarity in our lives.

We urgently appeal to those in positions of social and economic, as well as political and cultural, responsibility to hear the cry of the earth and to attend to the needs of the marginalized, but above all to respond to the plea of millions and support the consensus of the world for the healing of our wounded creation. We are convinced that there can be no sincere and enduring resolution to the challenge of the ecological crisis and climate change unless the response is concerted and collective, unless the responsibility is shared and accountable, unless we give priority to solidarity and service.

From the Vatican and from the Phanar, 1 September 2017

[This is an important statement for Anglicans and all Christians!]

A Message from our Presiding Bishop (On Harvey)

and from the Bishop of Texas:
 
Hurricane Harvey and our Mission

Let me begin by thanking all of our brothers and sisters around the world who are holding us up in prayer. We are grateful for the hope you lend us at this time of disaster and fear.

We have been in touch with many people and know that the disaster stretches across the whole southern part of our diocese. We expect the area to grow as the slow moving storm progresses across the state.

We are following the guidance of our officials and hunkering down in order to remain safe while they focus on those in the most immediate danger. Please pray for many clergy and laity who have water in their home. Pray also for those who need rescuing and are even now being rescued. We have a number of first responders and they also need our prayers as they are leaving loved ones to help with rescue operations.

We want to emphasize that we need to wait until the danger has passed to make our response so as not to complicated further the ongoing rescue operations.

Our plan for response includes the following:

1. We are in a standby mode until the storm passes.
2. We have had an effective test of our Alertmedia, our app for communicating with heads of congregations and staff in emergencies.
3. We have been in touch with many of our clergy families in the affected areas and heard from them about their situations. This afternoon we will use Alertmedia to gather more information.
4. Once the storm and danger has passed we will begin planning deployment of our Spiritual Care teams to affected areas.
5. We will are now and will continue to assess area damage as we get information from multiple sources and evaluate ways we can make an affective response.
6. An overall strategy will be developed and a coordinated response will be managed collaboratively working with our congregations. We will then implement a strategy and coordinate with resources.

As I write these words, I am very present to the sadness, fear, uncertainty, and grief that fill our minds and hearts in the wake of hurricane and tropical storm Harvey. Coastal towns along the Texas Gulf have been destroyed, and catastrophic flooding has left much of Houston underwater. Truly this storm has brought all of us to our knees, and our only recourse is to join King David in his plea for mercy: “Save me, O God, for the waters have risen up to my neck” (Psalm 69:1).

Two of the most powerful images in Scripture have Jesus Christ exercising authority over the sea. Jesus commands the stormy sea to be calm: “Who is this?” The disciples ask. “For even the winds and the sea obey him” (Matt 8:26). In a different passage, Jesus walks on the sea (Matt 14:26). The point being made by the Biblical author is clear: namely, that God’s power to save, renew, heal, and restore is infinitely greater than the sea’s power to destroy. The God we know in Jesus Christ forever sits “enthroned amidst the flood” (Psalm 29:10).

It is with this hope that we wait for healing together and, in concert with our Baptismal vows, we pledge to be conduits through whom God brings healing and renewal to others. We also commit to allowing other human beings to be vessels through whom God brings healing and renewal to us, for receiving is always its own kind of courage.

We do not know the future of Harvey or the city of Houston. But as Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt 24:35). “I will never leave you,” says our Lord standing on the waves. “Never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5).
My prayers, the prayers of your diocesan staff, and or global family are with you. Jesus is with you. Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, in your Word you have given us a vision of that holy City where the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea: Behold and visit, we pray, the cities of the earth devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Sustain those displaced by the storm with food, drink, and all other bodily necessities of life. We especially remember before you all poor and neglected persons it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them; that, among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, we may ever be defended by your gracious and ready help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.


Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, D.D.
IX Bishop of Texas

Responding to Hurricane Harvey

There are several ways you can help (from Episcopal Relief & Development):

• Sign for Ready to Serve to receive information about upcoming volunteer opportunities. The Ready to Serve database will be shared with leadership in the impacted areas once they're ready to begin taking volunteers.
   
• Please don't send food, clothing or other items to the affected area. Affected dioceses have limited or no capacity to receive, store or distribute goods. It is more efficient and better for the local economy to make a donation. Click here for more about why cash donations are more efficient than goods donations.
   
• Consider donating to the Episcopal Relief & Development's Hurricane Harvey fund in lieu of goods donations to support impacted dioceses as they meet the needs of their most vulnerable neighbors after this event.

[Other places to give include: Humane Society of the US (Disaster Relief Fund) and the Texas Diaper Bank (Disaster Relief) or