St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church - Elizabeth, NJ

​
​
  • Home
  • Welcome
    • History >
      • Historical Sizzle
    • I'm New
    • Let's Get Acquainted
    • Rev. Canon Andy J. Moore
    • Leadership
    • Mission
    • Habits of Grace: Prayer into Action
    • Bishop Curry Who is my Neighbor >
      • Bishop Curry
    • Make a Gift
    • Services
    • Gallery >
      • May 7 Covid-19 Testing
      • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala >
        • 25th Years of Priesthood Gala
        • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala
      • Harvest Sunday
      • Sunday School Father's Day 19
      • Men's Club Community Flea Mkt
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Thankgiving Baskets
      • Celebration for High School Gradates
      • Homecoming 2018 >
        • Homecoming
      • Music in the Garden
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Sunday School Youth Sunday
      • Maundy Thursday
      • Christmas Mass St. Elizabeth's
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Frist Presbyterian
      • Feast of All Saints
      • Sanctuary Sunday 2017
      • International Food Festival
  • Get Involved
    • Sunday School >
      • Sunday School Lift Ev'ry Voice
      • Black History - MLK
      • Sunday School Black History
      • Sunday School Black History ii
      • Youth Ministry
    • ESL Cerificate of Achievement
    • Computer Literacy
    • Episcopal Church Women
    • Mens Club
    • Outreach
  • Hall Rental
  • Calendar
    • News & Events >
      • Bishop Curry Easter 2022
      • Bishop Chip Heart of The Matter
      • Bishop Curry Address the Nation 1/6
      • Bishop Curry Christmas Message
      • Christmas Poinsettias
      • Advent Worship Services
      • ECS Sunday - Bishop Chip
      • Bishop Chip COVID-19 Testing
  • Contact
  • Realm E-Giving Launch
  • Living Like Job
  • it's Friday....but Sunday Comin!!
  • Bishop Curry
  • Past Masses
    • Zoom Service Aug 23rd, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 16th, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 9th, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 2nd, 2020
  • Lenten Sermons 2021
  • Thanksgiving Basket Nov 22nd
  • New Page
  • Home
  • Welcome
    • History >
      • Historical Sizzle
    • I'm New
    • Let's Get Acquainted
    • Rev. Canon Andy J. Moore
    • Leadership
    • Mission
    • Habits of Grace: Prayer into Action
    • Bishop Curry Who is my Neighbor >
      • Bishop Curry
    • Make a Gift
    • Services
    • Gallery >
      • May 7 Covid-19 Testing
      • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala >
        • 25th Years of Priesthood Gala
        • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala
      • Harvest Sunday
      • Sunday School Father's Day 19
      • Men's Club Community Flea Mkt
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Thankgiving Baskets
      • Celebration for High School Gradates
      • Homecoming 2018 >
        • Homecoming
      • Music in the Garden
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Sunday School Youth Sunday
      • Maundy Thursday
      • Christmas Mass St. Elizabeth's
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Frist Presbyterian
      • Feast of All Saints
      • Sanctuary Sunday 2017
      • International Food Festival
  • Get Involved
    • Sunday School >
      • Sunday School Lift Ev'ry Voice
      • Black History - MLK
      • Sunday School Black History
      • Sunday School Black History ii
      • Youth Ministry
    • ESL Cerificate of Achievement
    • Computer Literacy
    • Episcopal Church Women
    • Mens Club
    • Outreach
  • Hall Rental
  • Calendar
    • News & Events >
      • Bishop Curry Easter 2022
      • Bishop Chip Heart of The Matter
      • Bishop Curry Address the Nation 1/6
      • Bishop Curry Christmas Message
      • Christmas Poinsettias
      • Advent Worship Services
      • ECS Sunday - Bishop Chip
      • Bishop Chip COVID-19 Testing
  • Contact
  • Realm E-Giving Launch
  • Living Like Job
  • it's Friday....but Sunday Comin!!
  • Bishop Curry
  • Past Masses
    • Zoom Service Aug 23rd, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 16th, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 9th, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 2nd, 2020
  • Lenten Sermons 2021
  • Thanksgiving Basket Nov 22nd
  • New Page

Courage for Life

7/30/2019

0 Comments

 
​St. Luke 1:1 “He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

This week our 8-year-old daughter decided it was time for a summer room make-over.  So, she and her sister planned this girl’s room make-over with a double decker bunk bed as the center piece.  It was to be fully decorated with Poke Mon emblems. Then her twin brother, as boys would often do, sought to derail the plans by reminding her that she is afraid of heights.  As priest of twenty-five years, I was stunned by her immediate response “Listen you, I have prayed about it and now I am ready to face my fears”.  Her Sunday School teachers would be proud.

How often, as adult Christians, have we wavered on the brink of many overwhelming situations and allowed our fears to cripple us into inaction?  One would want to believe the early disciples of Jesus found themselves struggling with the overwhelming fears and tasks of discipleship and often times found themselves floundering.  They would often encounter some of the disciples of John who would be actively involved in following through on the demands of the ministry set by John and wished the courage and energy for themselves.

Christian prayer is greater than soothing comforting sentiments.  Our prayer is tightly linked to discipleship.  Discipleship begins in prayer and prayer leads us deeper into the complexities of discipleship. Jesus calls us into a life of prayer and this leads us to act upon the prayers. When we pray “Our Father”, it means not only are we in a relationship with God, but we are also in relationships with each other. Discipleship then is seeking not only for a closer walk with Christ, but to begin to be able to deepen and develop relationships in this world.  These relationships fulfill the mandate of God’s presence in each other and in the world in which we dwell.  Through Adia’s prayer, life gives her courage to face her fear of heights, and one can only hope that prayer becomes a springboard that will gives her courage for life.

Churches today are deeply in need of Christian disciples who are embolden by their prayers and have the courage which is needed to take the gospel of Jesus into the neighborhoods and homes right here in our communities.

Increasingly, more young people have decided to live on the fringes of the church while claiming to maintain their faith. Is it possible to be a Christian disciple without an active prayer life? Can one have an active prayer life outside the community of faith? That which holds the community together is prayer. This was the underlying call of the disciples. They understood the difficulties they faced in a community bought together from different tribes, differing socio-economic positions and different perspectives. They were called and held together by the presence of Jesus. However, without His physical presence they were fearful it was not enough to live on only His memory to hold them together.

The need for prayer was then a response to the many factors which could have driven them apart.  Prayer is that which held them together in the midst of their many fears and challenges. Prayer bonded them together and motivated them to engage in the work of Christ even in overwhelming presence of evil, doubt and fear. Prayer pushed them beyond themselves into becoming a worldwide force and God fueled energy.

Prayer is about Courage for life!

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rev. Canon, Andy Moore 

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017

    Categories

    All
    Sermon

    RSS Feed

    Picture

St Elizabeth’s
305 N. Broad Street
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207

Weekend Service Times
Sunday: 8:00am, 10:00am
Full Schedule

Picture