Monday in the 3rd Week of Easter: Let Us Pray

Heavenly Father, giver of life and health:
Comfort and relieve your servants who are ill, and
give your power of healing to those who minister to their needs,
that they may be strengthened in their weakness and
have confidence in your loving care;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer, p.459
 
Dear Hearts,
      Our prayers are asked for --
All who are ill or in distress including:
Joan G -- now home with her daughter;
Lois C -- out of the hospital but not yet home;
Gabrielle & Robin --  at home;
Lisa & Matthew -- at home,
Robert C --  at home,
Jim & Annie -- who can't be together for now, and
for all facing financial hardship because of the pandemic.
May they all know the healing power of
Christ's presence and love.

for the repose of Pamela McGuigan's brother,
Jon Blair,
and for all who have died during the Covid-19 pandemic;
and for those whom we hold in blessed memory, including
John Moffat
The strife is o'er, the battle done;
the victory of life is won.
 
In thanksgiving for the birth of
Emery Lora to Ellen & Alex G,
a second granddaughter for Nancy & Art W.
Confirm this family's joy with a lively sense of your presence.

In thanksgiving for the 40th wedding anniversary of 
Mardee & David
 Send your blessing upon your servants,
that they may continue to love, honor and cherish each other.
 
Please continue to hold in prayer:
Avery M., Sandy G., Murray E., Brooke & family, Kate S., Tracy M., Carl, Winnie Z.,; Jennifer, Robert & James; Carol L-U, Judy & Eddie G. and family, Sandy &  Roy N., Madeline H, Kelly G, Paul D, Lois S, Hope S, Bob vM,  Joanne N-R, Dave K, Margaret S, Philomena, Justin, Bob A, Jean, Virginia M, Florence C, Linda, Michael S
Also:  Linda B, June C, Charlie K, Anne C, Mark S, Angela G, Maria, Bob, Olivia, Lois, and Jo. 
Please also remember:  St. Luke’s School & Church in Martel (Haiti).

To add names and concerns for next Sunday's intercessions, and this "Let Us Pray" letter, please send them to YFNR at harrisoncec@snet.net with any details you care to share.  Names will then move to the "continuing" list for 30 days, and the longer term list upon request. 

And Another Thought:
In his reflection on Sunday's Gospel story -- about the appearance of the Risen Christ to two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, the Very Rev. Randolph Hollerith reminded me that we don't actually know where Emmaus was!  On my trips to the Holy Land I've been to one of the possible sites for Emmaus, some seven miles from Jerusalem, and it's a lovely green place in the Judean hill country.  Over the centuries several sites have claimed, and continue to claim, to be the biblical Emmaus, to attract pilgrims (and their infusion of cash in the local economy) wanting to be where the disciples had met their Risen Lord.
Dean Hollerith thus extends the story of Emmaus:  Not only do we not know in whom we will meet Jesus, we don't know in what geographic spot we will find him.  He concludes:
The risen Christ walks among us, not just within our worship but everywhere we go. He is on the road even now seeking to encounter us, waiting to be invited to the table. He knows how hard this life can be; he’s lived it. But he has also promised to be with us – whenever two or three are gathered together in his name – he will be with us. That’s an Easter promise and one we can count on.
If you'd like to receive a daily meditation from one of the clergy of Washington National Cathedral, you can subscribe here.

Wednesday Evening Prayers
Our livestream evening service of prayer and music will continue this Wednesday, April 30 at 7p.m.,  The service will be a form of the Order for Evening with lots of candlelight.  We'll again use the stirring Litany for the season of the pandemic, written by Anne & +Jeffrey Rowthorn -- former bishop suffragan in Connecticut. Every week I tweak, and usually extend, the categories of essential workers named in the Litany.  If you would like to contribute to this effort, please reply to this message with your thoughts.  An order of service will be available Wednesday morning here.

Thursday Morning Bible Study will continue this Thursday, April 9, 9:30-10:30a.m. on Zoom.   We'll look into Chapter 10.  Here's the link to our online conversation: click here:   Participation by telephone is also possible; I'll send the connection number on request.

Apologies for Sunday's video and audio:
I understand that on occasion the video of Sunday's service would freeze, and that the spoken word was difficult to understand -- except for the intercessions offered right by the camera.  Mark Sullivan is working on remedies.  Please hang in there while we try to get this sorted out!

Having alluded to it in the thanksgivings above, here is the complete text of a lovely prayer from the service of "Thanksgiving for a Child."
O God, you have taught us through your blessed Son
that whoever receives a little child in the name of Christ
receives Christ himself: 
We give you thanks for the blessing you have bestowed
upon this family in giving them a child. 
Confirm their joy by a lively sense of your presence with them,
and give them calm strength and patient wisdom
as they seek to bring this child to love all that is true and noble,
just and pure, lovable and gracious, excellent and admirable,
following the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
BCP, p. 443
As the sergeant would say at the end of the daily briefing on "Hill Street Blues," "Be safe out there!"
In the faith, hope and love of Christ,,
Harrison+
YFNR
p.s. Reminders for Christ Church's online worship:

• You can access the livestream directly at facebook.com/cecguilford. or the parish website christchurchguilford.org
• You may find that using an external speaker or headphones may improve the quality of audio from your device.
• Please remember to adjust both volume settings on your device: 

1. There is the device's volume control, usually accessed via the speaker icon on the lower right corner of your screen;  Be sure that the volume is turned up here.
2. There is another volume control on the Facebook Live image, as well. It's in the control panel at the bottom of the Live image.  The default setting on that control is often mute, indicated by an "x" over the speaker icon.  Be sure to click on the speaker icon to "unmute" the sound, and to turn up the volume here as well.