Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! While we have already celebrated Easter Sunday, the Season of Easter continues until Our Lord sends the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost. Because of this, Church of the Messiah will be celebrating the Easter Season and the Resurrection of Our Lord every Sunday morning, starting at 10 o’clock, until May 16th. During the season, our praise & worship, our Biblical readings, and our sermons will all focus on the Resurrection of Our Lord and His triumphant victory over death and the grave. Even our Nursery and Kids’ Church lessons (for those 1 year old through 5th grade) will focus on Our Lord’s Resurrection and the Gospel stories following the Resurrection.
Throughout this season, Church of the Messiah will meet in the sanctuary of Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church (click HERE for a map.) where we have ample room for social distancing. For more information about the precautions we are taking during this time, visit our COVID-19 Precautions Page. We live stream all of our services on Church of the Messiah’s Facebook Page for those who are unable to attend.
Thanks be to God, Easter changed the world forever and we do not just celebrate it for one day! Easter is a season; not just a day. We invite you to join with Church of the Messiah and celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord throughout this Easter season with us every Sunday morning beginning at 10 o’clock. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Join Church of the Messiah for a Lenten Bible Study
Every Wednesday night throughout the season of Lent, Fr. Scott Looker will be leading an on-line Bible Study on the topic of discipleship. Almost as exciting as the opportunity to develop a stronger relationship with The Lord is the new format we will be using for the study. We will still be live streaming to Facebook Live to our Facebook page, be we will also be opening the study up to participation via Zoom.
Every Wednesday night in Lent, starting on February 24th and ending March 24th, you can join the Bible Study by visiting zoom.us and using the Meeting ID and Password in the picture to the left. Alternatively, you can still participate as we stream the Zoom meeting to Facebook. The Zoom meeting will open at 6:45 and we will stream to Facebook beginning at 7:00.
We hope that, as we journey together through the Season of Lent, you will join us in this Lenten Bible Study and grow deeper in your walk with The Lord.
Last March, I was in San Clemente, California, with the Primates Council members and their wives. We had a great gathering, and the Lord spoke to us in so many ways. At the time, we were hearing about this “Coronavirus” that apparently was in China and Europe and perhaps spreading to the United States. Little did we know at the time what that “danger” and “spreading” was all about. When we returned home, suddenly, there was talk about a “lockdown” and the shutting down of entire countries in Europe, and we in the United States were soon to follow. That shutdown happened. We were told the shutdown would be 15 days to flatten the curve so that hospitals could handle the overwhelming numbers of people admitted.
We also heard about “essential services” and “non-essential services.” Grocery stores were essential, and guidelines were given for those who needed to shop. Elderly people even had special times to shop. Of course, healthcare workers, police officers, emergency personnel, sanitation workers, pharmacists, and others were considered essential, and indeed they were.
Then there were the lists of non-essentials that ranged from “gyms” to restaurants and bars. Most small retail shops or barbershops and hair salons were non-essential. Churches were considered non-essential, and still, in many states, churches face restrictions on the number of people who can occupy their buildings. For sacramental churches, like the CEC, that meant there were no Eucharists, no baptisms, no weddings, no funerals, no last rites at the hospitals (clergy were even forbidden to visit dying parishioners), or any other sacramental rite available to the people of God. Thank the Lord for the internet, as the churches could go virtual and minister to the people. The Church established an online presence. But, while churches were considered non-essential abortion, clinics were deemed essential. While medical procedures and other medical services were put on hold as non-essential, abortion was a procedure that was deemed to be essential.
The pandemic put life and death before us. As the numbers of hospitalized patients and those dying from COVID increased, we faced a new pandemic of “fear.” On the positive side, we became deeply concerned about the vulnerable among us in nursing homes, long-term living facilities, assisted living centers, and senior living facilities. Thousands died in these facilities, and the medical community told us outright that the elderly were most at risk and most likely not to survive the virus. The elderly who lived at home were advised to avoid contact with their children and grandchildren. Contact with an asymptomatic child could result in being infected and death. Those who are isolated from the community’s daily life were now even more isolated to be protected from this virus of death.
It is good that soon a vaccine will be available. Healthcare workers and these seniors in facilities will be the first to receive the vaccine, followed by senior citizens who have underlying health issues. Soon those with other diseases will receive treatment. And perhaps our hearts will be changed in our appreciation for the elderly among us. Hopefully, the Church will be awakened to the concerns of our elderly.
Throughout it all, abortion clinics, however, remained open. Abortion clinics were an “essential service.” While society rightfully cared for the elderly, they ignored the preborn — innocent little children who rely totally on others for their protection and life. These babies were still disposable. While politicians ran for office on the handling or mishandling of the Coronavirus, there was little concern or even awareness that some of the candidates ran on a platform that advocated the right to abort a baby up to the moment of birth, and, even in some cases, to allow a baby to die after birth.
The Church is always called to be present during human suffering with the message of life. Our faith is based on a God who suffered among us. It is right and a good thing that many churches ministered to those suffering from COVID. It is also right and good that the Church advocates for the poor, the widow, the fatherless, the single mothers, the disenfranchised, the homeless, the hungry, those in prison, immigrants, and those seeking freedom from tyranny. These are pro-life concerns. The Church needs to proclaim life into these situations, or as some say, we have a ministry of life from the womb to the tomb.
During the pandemic, we continue to have concern for everyone who is at risk, who has the disease, and especially those who mourn the death of a loved one because of the disease. We mourn the loss of almost 300,000 who have died from COVID and pray the new vaccine will end this horror. We continue to preach life and not give in to a fear of death.
Yet, we must also continue to cry out with a loud voice for the preborn babies’ right to life. As of this year, almost 40,000,000 abortions were performed worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. That is 125,000 babies a day. In the United States, roughly 3,000 preborn babies die every day at the hands of abortionists. We are told that 22% of all pregnancies in American end in abortion. There are more babies aborted in parts of New York City than brought to a full-term pregnancy and birth. We cannot get quality of life if we continue to destroy life. Death cannot be a solution to injustice or oppression. That is not good news.
A great deal of progress has been made over the past few years in bringing about change and saving babies’ lives. Abortion clinics continue to close, and some states could soon become “abortion free” states. The courts are now more “friendly” to pro-life cases and rule in favor of the right to life and the protection of the preborn. We could face some setbacks in the next few years, but we will continue to fight to be a voice for the voiceless. (Thank you to all who continue to pray at the abortion mills regularly. Persevere and do not give up.)
A lot still needs to be done on all different levels if we are to win and find a day when abortion will not only be illegal, but unthinkable. We must continue to work towards the day when the truth that God loves the unborn child, and that God loves the mother who has tragically presented herself for abortion, is understood. Our churches should be centers of life and healing for all the little children, for families in crisis, for single mothers, the fatherless, and the widows.
Churches should be a voice for the poor and a place where mercy and justice meet at the cross. We must work towards the day when death is not considered a solution; rather, choices of life for both mother and baby are more obvious and more available.
This is going to take a change of heart. The Pro-life movement is a Gospel movement. We need to support our clergy in preaching and teaching the Gospel of life from womb to tomb. We need to raise a generation that continues in the fight until the right to life is a reality for all. We need to raise a generation that has the heart of God. This is what CEC for Life is all about. Though the end of abortion is a primary concern of CEC for Life, it does not mean the leadership of CEC for Life is not concerned about all life. The battle cry is “All Life is Sacred.”
The Charismatic Episcopal Church was birthed in the Pro-Life movement and the “cultural wars” of the past few decades. As a people, God spoke to us and drew us into the life of the ancient and historic Church. We saw and continue to see that through liturgy and sacraments, along with preaching the Good News and the transformation of the heart, and empowerment by the Holy Spirit (the Lord and giver of Life), we join in a cultural war that has been raging since the beginning of time.
The cross of Christ is a cultural war, and victory was won on that cross in the wounds of Christ Jesus and the shedding of His blood. We found out that, as we participate in His life, and particularly His death, we find that ultimate gift of life, the resurrection and defeat of death. This truth is lived out every day in our people, but particularly in the praise and thanksgiving of the Eucharist Feast.
On January 17th, the third Sunday of the Christmas season, the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church celebrates a feast in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord and Giver of Life. During the Eucharist, an offering is to be taken where we ask every participant and member of the ICCEC to give generously to the pro-life work of our communion. We also ask every clergy, along with every parish, to partner with CEC for Life by submitting their membership request for the year.
I can only ask you to give generously, which most of you do.
What more will we do? We will persevere with the Gospel, knowing that in due season we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. We will continue to pray at abortion clinics. We will continue to work with other Pro-Life groups. We will continue to raise up a generation around the world who are Gospel activists. We will continue to equip the Church with the message of life.
Please once again join us. Be a part of a godly solution and a warrior for life.
Church of the Messiah will be supporting Emergency Pregnancy Services throughout the Christmas season this year with a Giving Tree. We have a Christmas tree in the foyer of the parish with ornaments that each have a need for new moms and new babies! You can take an ornament off the tree and we will be collecting the gifts at our Epiphany service in January. Some of the items EPS needs are baby wipes, baby shampoo, baby wash, baby lotion, diaper cream, newborn baby clothes, and maternity clothes size large, XL, XXL. If you are not part of our church and would like to help, just contact Lizz Looker and we will help make arrangements. Also if you are unable to get to a store, you can also donate on-line to Church of the Messiah and we will make sure that EPS receives all of the funds donated to them.
If you have not heard of Emergency Pregnancy Services before, EPS is a local pregnancy crisis center that supports women by providing free services such as pregnancy tests, proof of pregnancy, material goods, counseling, support and so much more. They have been serving the women of our community for over 45 years! Lizz Looker has had a long-standing relationship with EPS for over 13 years and was instrumental in helping open the Arlington branch of EPS when Fr. David was rector of Church of the Messiah.
Thank you for giving of yourself in this Christmas season to support those who are need.
Now that we have celebrated Thanksgiving, we begin to anticipate the celebration of Christmas! For four weeks prior to Christmas, the Church celebrates the Holy Season of Advent. Advent is a time of prayer and preparation in anticipation of the Coming of Our Lord on Christmas as well as the Second Coming of Our Lord when He returns at the Last Judgement. This year Church of the Messiah will observe the four Sundays of Advent on November 29th, December 6th, 13th, and 20th. All of our Sunday morning services begin at 10 o’clock.
On Thursday night, December 24th, we will celebrate Christmas Eve with our traditional Family Service. This service includes a special presentation from the children and youth of the church, a reading of the Nativity Gospel, the singing of traditional Christmas Carols, and other special surprises. Please note that this year our Christmas Eve Family Service will begin at the special time of 7:30 pm.
On Christmas Day, we will celebrate the Incarnation of Our Lord with our Christmas Day Service. This service is a brief Said Mass and usually lasts about forty-five minutes. Our Christmas Day Service will begin at 10 o’clock and is our only service of the holiday season that will be held in Church of the Messiah’s sanctuary (where we met before COVID).
All of our services (except Christmas Day) will be held in the sanctuary of Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church which allows us to be seated with adequate social distancing. For more information on our COVID19 precautions, visit our COVID Precautions Page. For those who cannot join us in person, all of our services will be live streamed via Facebook Live on the church’s Facebook page. Childcare is provided during each of our services (except Christmas Day).
During this season of holidays, we invite everyone to join us, whether in person or virtually, for any or all of our Advent and Christmas service. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Collecting the All Saints’ Mission Offering this Sunday
Every year on the Sunday closest to All Saints’ Day, the Charismatic Episcopal Church of North America takes of a special offering to help our brothers and sisters in the developing world. Please read this letter from Abp. Craig Bates, the Patriarch of the ICCEC, and prayerfully consider giving to support this offering this Sunday.
To the Bishops, Clergy and People of God in the Charismatic Episcopal Church of North America,
The year 2020 has been an interesting year and it is not yet over. We are still in a pandemic. We are not sure of the future regarding that pandemic. Is there going to be a vaccine by the end of the year or early next year? Are we going to have a second wave? Are we to believe, as some have suggested, that the darkest days are ahead of us, or that we are on the verge of a breakthrough in treatment and prevention?
We are also experiencing economic recovery, though I hear that is slowing down. Some businesses are still shut down. Many are facing the loss of income and it has put them in hard times. It seems that congress has stalled, and they are caught up in partisan politics and plays for power rather than finding ways to assist so many hurting people.
We are in an election cycle that has become more divisive than I can remember. I know of people who have lost long-standing friendships over politics. I know people who are afraid to express their opinions for fear of retaliation. I am uncertain what is going to happen no matter who wins the election. Could we be in for a more divisive atmosphere?
Someone said to me that they normally don’t stay up on New Year’s Eve, but this year they will make sure they are wide awake at midnight. Not so much to welcome in the New Year but to make sure 2020 leaves.
The life of the Church has gone on during all of this and will continue to go on after it is all over and we face the next thing. The life of the Church and her mission is not determined by the course of world events or circumstances, but it is determined by the Holy Spirit. Our mission is still focused on the King and the Kingdom. In this pandemic and this election cycle, the Word continues to be preached and the sacraments are being administered. While we are forced to embrace the virtual world, we have discovered so many means of not surviving but increasing our outreach and our ability to preach the Good News.
I remember hearing a sermon on giving when I was a young pastor. It was a sermon that changed my perspective on giving to the Lord and His work. It led me to believe that life is meant to be a life of giving and not taking. In other words, the quality of life is determined not by what we get out of life, but what we put into life from our time, our talents, and our treasures.
The preacher was talking about what to do in time of lacking finances and resources. The sermon was given in the late seventies when the nation was in the midst of run-away inflation, interest rates were at 18%, unemployment was extremely high, and we were lacking oil and gas. The shortages forced many Americans to stand in gas lines (if there was gas). I remember as a pastor having meeting after meeting about how we were going to heat the Church and if we were going to meet our small budget at the end of the year.
When I saw this teaching called “attack your lack” on a cassette tape (remember those) I immediately picked it up and listened to it. The central point of the message is that lack is not an obstacle but an opportunity to move by faith. He said it made no sense but the victory over lack is to give more away. If you are in need then you need to give at the point of your need. He said we are called to put our treasure where we want our heart to go and our heart should be going more and more into the direction of trusting God.
I know many are facing lack in the CEC. But God has a plan, and it is giving of our time, talent, and treasure into the work of the Kingdom. God’s resources are unlimited, and He is ready to provide for us and it might be miraculously. I have found this teaching to be true over the 40 years I have served as a pastor and have tried to follow Jesus. So the Mission offering gives me and you a means of releasing our faith into the work of God in East Africa.
So much has been accomplished through your generosity. We have schools, a seminary, churches, orphanages, water projects, and a host of other ministries. One hundred percent of the offering gathered on Mission Sunday goes to developing projects that generate money to increase the work of the Lord. There is a short video on CEC-NA or can be made available to you to watch and show you people. I hope every Cathedral shows the video and you can join them and watch it yourself.
We need to attack our lack. It is time to trust more and more in God’s provision for us, because He is trustworthy, and His promises are true. It is not a time to worry. It is time to step up and step out with the message of Jesus. As we release our faith in Christ, we will find that even in our desperation He will hear and answer our prayer. We will give generously and then expect God to release blessings in abundance because He is a generous God.
This Friday, September 25th, on what would have been Cathie’s birthday, we celebrate Cathie having entered into eternal life with her Lord and Savior. Cathie went to be with The Lord after suffering a sudden, unexpected illness in March of this year, just as the lockdown was beginning. Now we will finally be able have a memorial service and thank The Lord for her life.
This service will be streamed through Church of the Messiah’s Facebook page beginning at 6:30 on Friday evening. For the sake of the family and in order to maintain social distance, we ask that everyone who wishes to join us in the service do so on Facebook Live. To participate in the service once it has begun, if you are on already on Facebook, you can find Church of the Messiah by typing “mycomjax” in the Facebook search bar or by clicking this LINK if you are not already on Facebook.
We understand that this is not a traditional way to hold a memorial service, but we are grateful for the opportunity to gather, even virtually, and celebrate Cathie’s life and Our Lord. We appreciate everyone’s graciousness at this time. Please feel free to leave your kind words, thoughts and prayers in the comments of the live stream where Earl, Brooke, and other loved one may read them later.
Rest eternal grant to Cathie, O Lord; And let light perpetual shine upon her.
May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, Through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
This Sunday, July 5th, Church of the Messiah will hold its first worship service that will be open to the public since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in March. After an unfortunate delay last week, we are so blessed and excited to be able to gather in the sanctuary of Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church, the church from whom we lease our current building. Throughout the month of July, Ft. Caroline Presbyterian will be graciously allowing us to worship in their sanctuary which can seat up to 300 people so that our congregation may gather together once again and still maintain appropriate social distancing. We are so excited to be able to worship together (in person) once again after worshiping together on-line for four months.
It should be obvious that everything will not be exactly like it was in January of this year. COVID-19 is very real in Duval County and Mayor Lenny Curry has recently enacted an executive order requiring the wearing of masks or face coverings in public places where social distancing is not possible. In light of these circumstances, please take a few moments and read the following.
You will be required to wear a mask or maintain social distance. We will be submitted to the regulations of our city as St. Paul commends us. (Romans 13:1) This means that, for those who are over six years old, if you are within six feet of someone who does not live within your household, you will need to be wearing a mask. We will have masks available for those who do not own their own. When people are in their seats, and seated six feet away from those outside of their households, masks need not be worn. When people are receiving Holy Communion, masks need not be worn. Please note that some people may have medical conditions which prevent them from wearing masks. That is permissible according to the executive order.
Honor and respect other people’s choices. Part of “walking in love” in acknowledging that people will make choices that differ from our own and respecting those choices. If someone does not want a hug or a handshake like they did months ago, we all need to respect that. Likewise, there may be some people who, for medical reasons, are not wearing masks. If you are uncomfortable being near those people, there will be plenty of seats far enough away for you to be safe. No one needs to be notified and you need not inquire about their medical condition.
Conversations are best held outside in the open air. The mayor’s executive order does not require the wearing of masks outside. If you would like to have conversations with friends who you have not seen in months, we encourage you to do so in the open air where you need not wear a mask and where the breeze helps disperse all those wicked little germs.
We will continue to live stream our service on our Facebook page for those who are not present with us in the sanctuary. We ask the those whom the Centers for Disease Control considers especially vulnerable or at higher risk for infection (older adults, those with lung, heart, or liver disease, or those with autoimmune issues) to prayerfully consider staying home. At the same time, we must insist that those who feel sick, or those who have been in contact with anyone has been sick or who might possibly have COVID-19 stay home. Church of the Messiah has been blessed with a phenomenal record thus far of zero infections and we do not want that record to ever come to an end. We will be working with Fr. Looker, the Rector’s Council, and various ministry leaders throughout the week in order to ensure that we are able to worship The Lord in the most glorious way possible while also being as safe as possible.
There will be a few other minor changes that go along with worshiping in a new space and with all of the COVID-19 requirements, but we are confident that our clergy, ushers, and volunteers will make everyone feel right at home!
Ultimately, we are so blessed that we will be able to worship together this Sunday, July 5th, starting at 10 o’clock, in the sanctuary of Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church. We are so excited to see everyone again in person!
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the re-opening of public worship intended for this weekend will be postponed until next Sunday, July 5th. We apologize for the late notice, the inconvenience, and the disappointment that accompanies this news. We know how excited everyone was to gather again together and worship The Lord. We look forward to doing so next Sunday. Our service this Sunday, June 28th, will be streamed on Facebook Live as it has been in the past. Please share this message on your personal social media pages in order to get the message out to as many people as possible.
IMPORTANT UPDATE-Church of the Messiah to Hold Public Worship Services
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the re-opening of public worship intended for this weekend will be postponed until next Sunday, July 5th. We apologize for the late notice, the inconvenience, and the disappointment that accompanies this news. We know how excited everyone was to gather again together and worship The Lord. We look forward to doing so next Sunday. Our service this Sunday, June 28th, will be streamed on Facebook Live as it has been in the past. Please share this message on your personal social media pages in order to get the message out to as many people as possible.
Starting Sunday, July 5th, Church of the Messiah will hold its first worship service that will be open to the public since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in March. Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church, the church from whom we lease our building, is graciously allowing us to worship in their sanctuary throughout the month of July. Their sanctuary can seat up to 300 people, so our congregation may gather together once again and still maintain appropriate social distancing as is prudent for the day and age. We are so excited to be able to worship together (in person) once again after worshiping together on-line for four months.
We are not pretending, however, that the Corona Virus is gone. We ask the those whom the Centers for Disease Control considers especially vulnerable or at higher risk for infection (older adults, those with lung, heart, or liver disease, or those with autoimmune issues) to prayerfully consider staying home. At the same time, we must insist that those who feel sick, or those who have been in contact with anyone has been sick or who might possibly have COVID-19 stay home. Church of the Messiah has been blessed with a phenomenal record thus far of zero infections and we do not want that record to ever come to an end. For the sake of those who are either unable to attend or uncomfortable attending public services at this point in time, we will continue streaming our Sunday morning services live on Facebook.
We will be working with Fr. Looker, the Rector’s Council, and various ministry leaders throughout the week in order to ensure that we are able to worship The Lord in the most glorious way possible while also being as safe as possible. There are a great many moving parts that are still being adjusted and will likely continue to be adjusted very late into the week. For the latest updates, please check our social media on Facebook or Instagram and this web-page. Also, Wednesday night at 7 o’clock, Fr. Looker will dedicate his entire Fireside Chat to providing the most up to date information about the upcoming service so please watch that podcast on our Facebook or YouTube channel.
Ultimately, we are so blessed that we will be able to worship together this Sunday, June 28th, starting at 10 o’clock, in the sanctuary of Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church. Please keep an eye out for more information this week as it becomes available.
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Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! While we have already celebrated Easter Sunday, the Season of Easter continues until Our Lord sends the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost. Because of this, Church of the Messiah will be celebrating the Easter Season and the Resurrection of Our Lord every Sunday morning, starting at 10 o’clock, until May 16th. During the season, our praise & worship, our Biblical readings, and our sermons will all focus on the Resurrection of Our Lord and His triumphant victory over death and the grave. Even our Nursery and Kids’ Church lessons (for those 1 year old through 5th grade) will focus on Our Lord’s Resurrection and the Gospel stories following the Resurrection.
