Presby-Musings

I recently received a copy of the Hungry Planet Bible Project's DVD curriculum No Room At The Inn .  Unfortunately, I received it too late to use it as part of my 2009 Advent studies.  I will without a doubt be using this next year.  My church has recently undergone a huge transformation.  We launched a food ministry to cook one meal a week and to distribute food to the hungry as needed.  We also launched a clothes closet for needy families to find clothes.  Along with existing ministries to at-risk children and partnerships with our local elementary school to tutor students who are falling behind, we have moved from being a church that primarily was concerned with self-preservation to one that is concerned with giving itself away for the kingdom of God.  No Room At The Inn would have been a vital part of that transformation, but I know that God has a plan for its use in my church next year.  The stories that are told on the DVD by the people aff...

Today is the feast of St. Catherine of Siena. I wouldn't have known this, except I heard it on a podcast that I subscribe to that tells me about these kinds of things. It also plays beautiful music and there are people reading Scripture with beautiful accents from all over the United Kingdom. The podcast is called Pray-As-You-Go , and you should definitely check it out. When I arrived back at my office, I dutifully looked up St. Catherine of Siena, and I found this prayer, which I will relate in part: O blessed Catherine, turn thy benign countenance towards me, who confident of thy powerful patronage call upon thee with all the ardor of affection and I beg thee to obtain by thy prayers the favors I so ardently desire (mention your request). Thou wast a victim of charity, who in order to benefit thy neighbor obtained from God the most stupendous miracles and became the joy and the hope of all; thou canst not help but hear the prayers of those who fly to thy heart - that heart whi...