[RivCompanions] Rivendell Formation

[Noel Schwartz]

Dear Rivendell Formation Postulants and Novices,

I am so much enjoying getting to know you one at a time.  Seven down and two to go!  I hope to get in touch with Paulette and Ladelle this week.  Please email and let me know what times work best for you for a call.  Virginia is on her way to Texas, and I wish I were able to be there, too, for this first Texas formation gathering.  Am anxious to hear all about it after you meet.  I am attaching a contact information list for Texas as I am finding that you do not all have this information.  Hope it is helpful.  If there are changes, please let me know.

A schedule for study and meeting will be developed after your August 3rd meeting. This will begin in September with a different companion leading a portion of the Study Guide each month as well as individual companions identified for each person in formation to journey with you this year.  This promises to be a rich and holy experience for all of us.

Many blessings,
Noel

Blessed Martha and Mary Feast Day!

These were the prayers of the people at St. George's here in Asheville last Sunday when the Gospel reading was Jesus' discussion with Martha.  Today seemed a good day to share them with you.  I have always truly identified with Martha and a yearning to be more like Mary......a work in progress for me.

Prayers of the People
Like Martha, we have much to do; like Mary we listen to hear God's voice. In the complexity of our daily lives, let us raise our voice in prayer to God, saying: Have compassion on our weakness and lead us into strength.
Help us O God, for we are distracted by many tasks. Grant us wise discernment between what is essential to the wholeness of our lives, and what is not. Have compassion on our weakness and lead us into strength.
Grant us generosity of spirit to welcome the stranger with hospitality and care; for in serving others, O God, we serve you; to God we pray: Have compassion on our weakness and lead us into strength.
Grant us grace in our darker moments, when we are estranged and hostile in mind, to be reconciled by the healing power of the Holy Spirit, that we may at the last be presented to you, holy and steadfast in faith; to God we pray: Have compassion on our weakness and lead us into strength.
We thank you for all who labor like Martha, especially those who work on our behalf and in the care of others. We pray for everyone whose work is dangerous or burdensome. Protect them from injury and guard them from adversity. We offer special thanks for those who labor in our lives, ...........................Have compassion on our weakness and lead us into strength.
We thank you for all who strive like Mary, and awaken our spirits to listen for your voice in daily life. May the quiet people in our lives not be overlooked, or mistaken as weaklings or bad-mannered. We offer special thanks for those who labor quietly,.............................to God we pray: Have compassion on our weakness and lead us into strength.
In the cries of the suffering, we hear God's call to compassion. We raise our prayers for those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness or any other adversity, remembering............................to God we pray: Have compassion on our weakness and lead us into strength.
Loving God, you welcome all who die into your presence and you seat them at the table of your heavenly banquest. We lift up the memory of those we love but see not longer, remembering especially..........................to God we pray: Have compassion on our weakness and lead us into strength.
Direct us. O Lord, in all our doing with your most gracious favor and further us with your continual help, that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your Holy Name, and finally by your mercy obtain everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://justus.anglican.org/pipermail/rivcompanions.justus/attachments/20130729/f06375ea/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Houston_Contact_Info.docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 13445 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://justus.anglican.org/pipermail/rivcompanions.justus/attachments/20130729/f06375ea/attachment-0001.bin>