The Seventh Sunday After the Epiphany

The Five Marks of Mission: The mission of the Church is the mission of Christ

1. To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
2. To teach, baptize and nurture new believers
3. To respond to human need by loving service
4. To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation
5. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth

Many of you may not know, but the Christian world comes together from September 1 to October 4 every year to celebrate, pray for and commit to the care and preservation of what Pope Francis calls our Common Home, our planet, Earth. I have included two videos below that highlight our common Christian commitment to care for God’s gift of Creation; one from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the other from Pope Francis. Each is about two minutes or so. I encourage you to watch these as we prepare to consider the final mark of Christian Mission for HTAC. And as we prepare, may we pray as our book of common prayer commends us to:

O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

See you on Sunday!