Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City
‘I’m tired of praying; I never get an answer.’
‘I don’t have enough hope to pray.’
‘I don’t know how to pray!’
These and many other thoughts may have crossed all of our minds. Prayer is at the heart of our call as Christians, but many Christians find it the most mysterious spiritual practice. How can lay leaders and clergy inspire their congregations to pray? How should we pray as a group or as individuals?
Please join The St. Paul Center (TSPC) to explore this important question together, in honest and open conversation. All are welcome – clergy and lay, Episcopalians, seekers, and ecumenical friends, experienced prayer warriors and those who feel like beginners. Our day will include teaching, conversation, reflection, and of course prayer! All participants will leave with materials to bring back to their congregation, to continue the conversation and learning.
Our ‘Why Pray?’ days will be hosted at St. Paul’s Newburyport, St. Thomas’ Taunton, and the Cathedral Church of St. Paul Boston, July 27th, 10am to 2.30pm. You are warmly invited to join us at whichever location works for you! Tea and coffee will be served at the start of the day, and you are invited to bring a packed lunch.
Find out more, and sign up to attend, at https://www.stpaulboston.org/why-pray
In partnership with Vision New England, Joni and Friends New England has launched a VIRTUAL (online) Disability Ministry network group for New England. This Disability Ministry network is designed to provide equipping, encouragement and sharing about including people and families with disability in faith communities. Our next meeting is on Thursday, December 7th from 4:30 – 5:45 PM. Pastors and Ministry Leaders – if you are interested in learning and sustaining a disability inclusive culture, this online group is for you!
To register, visit Disability Ministry Virtual Network | Joni and Friends. Once you’ve submitted a registration, a zoom meeting link will be provided to you by Vision New England.
NOTE: This network group is restricted to New England based churches and ministries!
Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Somerville, MA invites you to experience a unique event – a Byzantine rite All-Night Vigil (Vespers, Orthros, and Divine Liturgy served together) commemorating St. Richard of Wessex, one of the great saints of early medieval England.
While St. Richard is celebrated on the Greek Orthodox calendar, the full liturgical office for him, save for a lone Latin antiphon, was only recently composed and first celebrated last year.
Come and share this unique blessing with us – an All-Night Vigil commemorating a saint of the British Isles who died in Italy traveling to Jerusalem, celebrated today by a Greek Orthodox community in New England, with an office composed in English specifically for Greek Orthodox use, that will be sung according to the tradition and practice of Byzantine chant.
And if your name is Richard – come celebrate your name day with us!
A BRIEF LIFE:
St. Richard of Wessex (+722 A.D.) was a king in Anglia who, with his wife St. Wuna, raised his children Ss. Willibald, Winnibald, and Walpurga in the Christian faith, but remained focused on his own worldly concerns and privileges as king.
Eventually, St. Richard’s children lovingly reproached him. They implored him to set a Christian example for them, just as Noah had first entered the Ark ahead of his children, and to heed the words of our Lord to give away all that he had and follow Christ.
St. Richard heard his children’s rebuke and repented. With tears in his eyes, he cast off his crown and distributed his wealth. His sons convinced him to go with them on pilgrimage to visit holy sites in Rome and Jerusalem, and they set out on the journey.
In Lucca, Italy, St. Richard fell ill and reposed in the Lord. Ss. Willibald and Winnibald buried him at the church of Saint Frigdian (San Frediano).
Miracles and healings began to occur at St. Richard’s tomb, leading to his veneration and glorification as a saint. His son, St. Willibald, became bishop of Eichstätt in modern-day Bavaria, and had relics of his father translated to his cathedral there as well.
Join us for Vision New England’s Women in Christian Leadership “Leading Well” forum, featuring Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, entitled “Leading Boldly in the Midst of a Community in Crisis.”
Historians often discuss watershed moments—critical turning points in history that fundamentally change how people think about and do life. The past 1 ½ years has been a quintessential watershed moment in which many communities have experienced multiple painful crises simultaneously. Just as God raised up and equipped Esther to respond to the crisis in her day, God is calling today’s Christian women leaders to step up with conviction, step out on faith and step forward with courage.
Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, M.D. is co-pastor of Bethel AME Church in Boston and a pediatrician who long practiced at the South End Community Health Center. She also co-directs the Harvard Medical School and Harvard Divinity School course, “Medicine and Spirituality in Healing.” Rev. Gloria is a longtime champion of health equity and publicly speaks about COVID-19 vaccination as a pastor and a physician, especially in communities of color. Rev. Gloria’s innovative ministries include Do The Write Thing, a creative writing mentoring ministry for high-risk adolescent girls; My Sister’s Keeper, www.mskeeper.org , a humanitarian and human rights organization that champions social justice for women and girls in conflict zones; and Shatter the Silence, a ministry that addresses sexual victimization in communities of faith.