Sunday Services

Sunday School - 9:30 am

Holy Communion - 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays, 10:30 am

Morning Prayer - 2nd and 4th Sundays, 10:30 am

Thursday Services

Evening Prayer/Bible Study, 7 pm

Reaching out to the least, the lonely, and the lost

Holy Communion Service at Friendship South

2nd and 4th Sundays, 2:30 pm

Thoughts from the Lectionary: The Sunday after Ascension Day

From the Gospel Lesson: St. John 15:26 – 16:4

Vss. 26-27 "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."

Christ here speaks to His disciples of His going to the Father and of the coming persecution of the Apostles who by the power of the Holy Ghost bear witness to His power and work. He tells His followers that, as the Comforter testifies of God’s power in their hearts and lives, that they will receive power and boldness to bear witness to the glory of the Kingdom of Christ.

However, the Lord also tells them plainly that there will be those in the world that will despise and persecute them. Many who reject the Father (and consequently the Son as well) will pursue them to their deaths, believing that they are doing good by killing those who name the name of Jesus.

Today is no different. The godless world hates Christ and so it also hates His church. We should expect persecution to some degree in this life. In many nations of the world many are still martyred for the faith just as those martyrs of long ago. If we live in relative safety we should be most grateful to our God for it. But, should persecution come, we must stand strong in the power of the Holy Ghost knowing that Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God has overcome the world and will give us grace and strength to the very end.

Blessings,

Fr. Duane+