A Well-Worn Path
A Well-Worn Path
The well-worn path we walk in our liturgy every Sunday, from beginning to end, leads us to one destination: doxology. “Doxology” is much more than the title of a hymn, however. It’s a compound Greek word—doxa, “glory” or “praise”; and logos, “word”—meaning “speaking or singing glory and praise”.
This path isn’t an accident of church history, or “the way we’ve always done it”, or some liturgist’s arbitrary preference. This well-worn path—through mercy, Word, confession, absolution, and communion—is the way of the gospel itself, and this Sunday we’re going to see it mapped out in three of the passages from our readings: Isaiah 51, Psalm 138, and Romans 11.
Here’s my “big idea”: We cannot arrive at genuine, sustained, life-carrying doxologyexcept by this path. Skip it, and doxology becomes shallower—a mood, dependent on temporal things. But walk the path, and doxology becomes bedrock—something you can stand on when the ground beneath everything else gives way.
See you Sunday.
Steve+
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
5th Sunday Morning Prayer—Next Sunday, August 30, 10am.
5th Sunday Potluck/Membership Sunday—August 30 following Morning Prayer.
Annual Volunteer Training—Saturday, September 19, or Saturday, September 26.
Weekly:
Youth Formation (ages 10–13)—Starting Sunday, September 6, 9:00am, in the Parish Hall.
Around the Table—A prayer time for women, Thursdays, 9:00am, at the Wishart’s. Email Lauren for details (wishartlauren@gmail.com).
Morning Prayer—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:00–8:30am on Zoom (redeemerannapolis.org/midweek).
Men’s Bible Study—Thursdays, 7:00am, at 1309.
Engineering Mission: Hale Simmons
In early September, I’ll be joining a team of engineers from around the world on a short term trip to central Asia. We will be designing a site development for a retreat center to serve the local population of Christians. These Christians are without much of their own infrastructure, as Islam dominates the region. My role will be to assist with the site surveying and full design of the grading, layout, and storm water of the proposed site to produce a full set of plans the construction crew can use to complete construction.
Cru is looking to gain a deeper connection and ministry to the central Asian area. Their ministry is ongoing, but currently much of their funds are being used on rentals and moving around between these rentals. A dedicated space where pastors, missionaries, athletes, college students, orphans and other groups can gather to worship, pray, and study not only helps with Cru’s financial standing. It helps to shift the entire focus towards the subject of worship, Jesus Christ.
I am asking for you to join me on this venture if willing, first and foremost with prayer—for safety and expeditious success with the engineering work our team is aiming to complete, and for the continued work of Cru in the area. I’m also looking to raise $3,000 in financial support—if you’d prayerfully consider financial support, instructions are below.
Find more information about my mission here.
In order to give towards Hale Simmons and his eMi project trip to Central Asia please follow these instructions:
Select “Support an Individual --> Volunteer”
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Click “I’d like to support” button and search for “Hale Simmons”
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Photo: Megan Lee on Unsplash
