Daily Learning and Growing

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Episcopalians are firmly Trinitarian. We believe that God has eternally existed as one God, but in Three unique and distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
We celebrate Unity in the midst of Diversity, and we celebrate our Diversity, while not forgetting our essential Unity; understanding that both Unity and Diversity are ways of understanding God who made all things, and are fundamental aspects of reality. 
Trying to wrestle with exactly what that means, and what are the implications, is a fascinating and endless discussion!

One of the consequences of this is that since the foundation of all reality is both One and Three, we are very fond of expressing things in groups of Three. 

A healthy and growing faith will involve three areas:

  1. Worship
  2. Study
  3. Service

There are links here for all three areas below

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another …”   – Hebrews 10:24, 25

Our weekly gathering together as the Body of Christ is among the most important things we can do for each other.
By coming together in worship, we gain strength and encouragement, and perhaps more importantly, we encourage one another. There are certainly times when God may call any of us to stay home – perhaps because He has something else for us on that day.
But like breathing out and breathing in, God always calls us back. (We’ll be waiting for you!)

Click the Hope Church Logo for the link to our schedule of services, and video of past services.

Each Sunday will have a set list of scripture passages to be read. Usually there will be a reading from the Old Testament, a Psalm, one from the New Testament, and one specifically from the Gospels in the New Testament.

During the week, many people like to read one or more of those sections every day for their private reading. The four readings, plus the church service itself, and two days “off” makes a comfortable rythm for many people.

So click the coffee cup, pour a cup for yourself, and let’s see what God might like us to think about this week!
This link will take you to a page with the readings for next Sunday. 

There will also be a link for the entire yearly calendar.

 

Click here for the Readings

Since its earliest days, one of the main services in the Episcopal Church has been the reading of Morning and Evening Prayer. Along with prayers and worship, the Scriptures are read over a two-year cycle. It is read by laypeople and clergy, in groups, congregations, and individuals all over the world.

The good folks at the Mission of St. Clare have worked to put together an amazing resource for us it includes 

  • Guidelines for the service of Morning and Evening Prayer (with AUDIO and even VIDEO!)
  • All the Daily Lectionary Readings
  • A list of other family-oriented offices like Noonday Prayer, Compline, etc.
  • Links to various calendars, Prayer Books, services from other traditions, etc. 
  • A number of other interesting and helpful tools.

Click the icon of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to get to the Daily Readings and the services on their amazingly helpful site. (Clicking the Mission St. Clare logo will also work)

The Mission of St. Clare

There are a lot of Bible apps on the internet. And I use to have a bunch of them. But I found that – if I just wanted to read – I almost always went to this one. Bible.com is one of the products developed by YouVersion.com. I find it invaluable.

The first screen invites you to open an account, or download an app; depending on whether you are using a computer or a phone/tablet. But you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to. You can just read, in any of dozens of translations.

If you DO decide to use the app or open an account, you can start a reading plan ( 7 days on a particular subject, or several varieties of through the Bible in One Year, which I am doing, and a lot of others). You can download many of those translations straight to your phone so that you don’t need a wifi connection to use them. Many of the most popular translations even have audio. As I mentioned, I do a one year whole Bible plan. But I have it read to me on my daily walks. About 15 minutes per day.

You can highlight, take notes, all sorts of things.

Everything like this has its fans, and there as some good features out there,  But for FREE! this one is worth every penny (and they have never tried to sell me anything) 

Click the picture of the Bible to go to the Bible.com website