Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Yesterday began a week that is known as Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Week. This week begins with the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter, and ends with the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. In a way, these two feasts show reconciliation and unity, as St. Peter and St. Paul did not always see eye to eye. As well as showing how God can reconcile with someone like St. Paul, who as we know led the charge of persecuting early Christians before he was converted when he saw the Lord. This week of prayer is an ecumenical observance that various Christian faith traditions keep. Those are the Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodist, among others. It began as a Roman Catholic observation in 1908, and spread from there. Originally it was intended to “emphasize the relationship between Christian unity and the papacy.” In the 1920’s protestant groups proposed an annual octave to focus on unity among all Christian groups to fall on Pentecost, the day where the church was established. Eventually in the 40’s and 50’s the week began to be observed by all the groups together. Thus giving us what it is today. The goal is to pray for the unity of the churches, the body of Christ here on earth.
We very much need this week. We all are aware that there is much division in our world. We see this division play out on a daily basis. This division is not just found in our daily lives, but also the church. Division has long plagued the church. It has caused schisms, it has broken relationships, it must stop. As the body of Christ, we must be united. That is why we pray for unity among the churches. So we can do the work of spreading the Gospel together, rather than against one another.
During my final year of seminary I was able to take a pilgrimage to Rome. One of the highlights of the pilgrimage was Papal vespers at St. Paul’s basilica celebrating the feast we are celebrating today. At the vespers was Pope Francis, a representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury, a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and various Christian pastors, including an Episcopal Priest serving at a church in Rome. It was a night full of hope. From the Roman Catholic priest who found out I was an Episcopal deacon at that time and shook my hand thanking me for being there, to seeing the Pope share in the final blessing with an Anglican Archbishop and an Eastern Orthodox Archbishop. I left full of hope that despite differences, we can achieve unity. That despite centuries of conflicts there could be a time when we all come together as one body and worship the same Lord Jesus Christ.
Unity can happen, when we join together to work for it. For unity to happen, we must allow God to make it happen. That is why we pray for that. We do not stop there though, we also work at unity. At bridging divisions, so that we can live as united people. I ask you all to join me in prayer this week and beyond. Pray for unity for the churches. Pray for unity in our nation. Pray for unity in our world. Let us spend this week praying for God’s reconciling love to overtake us, and then let us go out and work for unity.
Blessings,
Fr. Andrew
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Due to the Fort Bend County code red for Covid, Services will be
live- streamed only.
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The Ministries of St. Catherine’s are working hard to find ways to safely reconnect our parish family. Your participation in these ministries are important to the growth of our community. Please reach out to these leaders. Ministry information is available on the web, see link below, or contact melinda@siennachurch.org for how to get involved.
1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
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Remember a loved one, honor someone special or celebrate a specific occasion with a donation of $65 for the altar flowers. Your dedication will appear in the Sunday Bulletin.
Reserve your date by clicking on the link below, using the sign-up sheet in the Narthex, or calling the office 281-778-2046.
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Sunday, January 24 at 1 p.m.
Zoom meeting for Annual Parish Meeting. This meeting will review the Parish Budget and election of Vestry Members and Council Delegates.
Since the Annual Meeting will be held virtually over Zoom, we will not be accepting nominations from the floor during the meeting. Please contact Crystal@siennachurch.org or Melinda@siennachurch.org for the meeting's Zoom link
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Nominations for Vestry and Diocese Council Delegates are open.
The following are the current nominations for Vestry:
Ryan Clift - Beverly Hargrove - Scott Kelly - Loretta Werling
The following are the current nominations for Council Delegate :
Lisa Davis - Roger Hoover - Judy Lawton - Terri Mitchell
Nominations are still being accepted. If you would like to nominate someone, or yourself for any of these positions you can do so by contacting the church at 281-778-2046. You can also contact Fr. Andrew to nominate, or if you have any questions at fatherandrew@siennachurch.org. .
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Tuesdays at 10 a.m. starting February 23 through March 30 join us for a 6 week Lenten Reflection series "To Live Anew" in the Sanctuary - distanced and masked. "To Live Anew" includes a weekly reflection on the Sunday Scripture, discussion questions, action suggestions, and a daily mantra. Each lesson embodies a special quality of spiritual growth.
This series will be moderated by Melinda.
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Wednesdays at 7 p.m. starting February 24 through March24 join us for a 5 week Lenten Study “Mark As Story”. This course, focusing on the Gospel of Mark, will be offered through Zoom and facilitated by Fr. Andrew.
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Thank you for all who have responded to the Music Ministry Piano Fund Raiser. Donations toward the purchasing of a used baby grand will continue through January 31. Please mark contributions as "piano". |
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Thursday, March 25 – 6:30 p.m. ECW Meeting to fill Easter Eggs
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We continue to collect items for Fort Bend Human Needs, Fort Bend Women's Center, the Beacon, Family Promise, and Manna Bags. Donations can be dropped off at the office Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or leave at the front doors of the church. Thank you for your generosity. |
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Prayer Blanket Ministry If you know of someone who could use a prayer blanket or prayer shawl please contact the office.
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Change of Address Change of Email Change of....
Please send Crystal an email or call 281-778-2046 with any changes.
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