skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I hope that today you are getting a holiday and that you will get to spend it in a leisurely way.
As for most occasions, The Book of Common Prayer has something to contribute:
O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (page 825)
In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church - Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314Photo:
taken near Livingston, May 2008
In our Gospel reading for tomorrow (Matthew 16:21-28) Jesus reveals to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, undergo great suffering at the hands of the religious authorities, and be killed. But the good news is that Jesus will be raised to life again on the third day. Somehow the disciples missed the part about Jesus' resurrection. Here we take up part of the narrative:
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." But he [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done."
These verses have often been pointed out to emphasize self-denial, taking up of crosses, and losing our lives to save them. But I note that first of all, Jesus told Peter that he had his priorities off-balance. Peter was not setting his mind on divine things.
It isn't easy to keep our mind in heaven when our feet are firmly planted to this earth, but I believe that this is where trust in God enters into the equation. When we trust in God and set our minds and hearts toward our relationship with God, everything else will fall into its proper place. We might find ourselves losing our lives to save them, and we did not even know when that happened.
In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church - Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314
Photo by Linda McCloud
This blog is being written while the dough rises. Yes, I am making altar bread for Sunday's service of Holy Communion. I bought the flour from Wheat Montana in Three Forks as I was driving back from Helena a few days ago. The honey is from an apiary in Pony, Montana. The olive oil? well, I have to confess that it's from Spain. But it all comes together nicely into bread. I hope you will be there Sunday to receive your share.
Maybe it's because I am new to Montana, but I am fascinated with the endless miles of wheat fields, and I think the huge rolls of wheat straw are a work of art. Clearly, I have landed in a very good place. I am reminded of a verse from a favorite Psalm: He has established peace on your borders; he satisfies you with the finest wheat. (Psalm 147:15)
In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church-Billings
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314
Maybe you are thinking of going out of town this coming weekend. After all, it is Summer's Last Hurrah. With Billings as a home base there is so much to do and so much to see. If you go, please be safe.
But if you plan to stay in Billings for the weekend, then please check out Holy Cross Church. Our worship service is at 10:00 a.m.
Come to think of it, if you worship with us at 10:00 a.m., you will still have time to get to Mt. Rushmore before dark.
In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.orgphoto by Linda McCloud 05/17/08
Holy Cross Church-Episcopal in Billings is off and running. Yesterday at our first worship service there were twenty-three of us. That is a really good start and I trust that we will continue to grow as a congregation. One of the quickest ways to do that is for us to get to know each other.
As we form community, we will begin to pray for each other and bear each other's burdens. We will find that we have mutual friends and connections. Some of those people might also be interested in becoming a vital part of this new church. It will take all of us working together, inviting our friends and acquaintances.
So, welcome aboard at any stage along the way. The train has definitely left the station, and God is a seasoned conductor.
In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
Michael Everson comes to Holy Cross Church from a Lutheran and Presbyterian background. He is descended from three generations of Lutheran ministers and has been playing the organ for more than 35 years, including positions as the chapel organist at the Augustana College Chapel in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Saint Mark’s Lutheran Church, also in Sioux Falls, and at First Presbyterian Church in Brookings, South Dakota. He is a Montana native who has recently relocated back to Montana after living in Wyoming and South Dakota for many years.
Welcome, Mike !
In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Missioner, The Episcopal Diocese of Montana
Vicar, Holy Cross Church, Billings
Officially, the new adventure will begin on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. as we celebrate our first service of Holy Eucharist, or Holy Communion, for Holy Cross Church-Episcopal, Billings, Montana. For me personally, the adventure began a few months ago when I first moved to this beautiful city.
The above picture shows the building where we will be worshiping for the next couple of years or so, while we get ready to build our own building further west on Grand Avenue. If you have driven on Shiloh Drive toward the Rims lately, you will recognize this lovely Kathy Lillis Chapel on the right at the corner of Shiloh Road and Poly Drive. It is a part of the St. John's Lutheran Ministries Administration Building. To attend services you may park in either the upper lot at Shiloh and Poly, or in the lot nearest the chapel door at 2429 Mission Way.
I am thrilled to have the privilege of gathering this new faith community. If you are interested in becoming a part of this new adventure, please respond to this blog or call 406-208-7314 for more details. We are planning an informational meeting at the Lillis Chapel on the morning of August 23.
Holy Cross Church-Episcopal is the newest church in the Episcopal Diocese of Montana. Our mission is to restore all people to unity with God and with each other in Jesus Christ. Does that light a spark of interest in your own heart?
In peace, Linda+ The Rev. Linda McCloud
Missioner, The Episcopal Diocese of Montana
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal, Billings
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
