Podcasts about episcopal revival

Two years ago I started planning for my retirement from full-time employment in healthcare and I also started an informal process of “discernment” about what I would be doing with all the “extra time”. In my denomination, Episcopal, there is a formal process for those seeking ordination to the clergy or diaconate. I've served on a handful of those committees and as part of the process asked myself if I was feeling a calling to become clergy. In all cases, the answer has returned as a “no.” I knew I wanted to spend time in service to God, but what does that look like as a layperson? I asked a few close friends to help with the process by listening to me and probing me with questions when I was gravitating toward one area or another. Over the past two years they've asked insightful questions: “What have you done that has brought you joy?”“What are the ministries that you are passionate about in serving the Lord?”“Is there a person, place or activity that consistently centers your spirit, that reconfirms your person?” I didn't always have the direct answer to the questions, but they made me think.I knew the next chapter would be focused on growing in my faith as a disciple of Jesus. The Way of Love is a way of life in the Episcopal church. I've been studying the seven elements since attending an Episcopal Revival in Honduras in 2018: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, and Rest.After three years of prayerful thought, I retired in August 2020. I will be focusing on “Learn” for the next few years as I'll be enrolling as a Hybrid Master of Divinity student at Duke Divinity School this Fall. I'll be able to continue to live in Nashville traveling to Durham, NC for three residency weeks each year and then synchronous on-line classes for the remainder of the semester. This will allow me to continue to serve in my current ministries in Nashville, and even explore new ones as I journey through the program. I'm excited to be studying Old Testament in my first semester.The thought of meeting new students and professors and engaging in religious discussions brings me great joy! I hope to learn how to help people see their own lives in Scripture.Please add me to your prayer list for this new adventure. I pray also that you will find what brings you joy and centers your being, and that you will pursue it for the glory of God.Blessings, my friend,Agatha

On May 4th, the Diocese of NH will host an Episcopal Revival in the town of Windham, NH. We’re very excited about the upcoming event and have dedicated this week’s Red Church Door podcast to talking about it. This week’s episode welcome three guests. The first is the Rev. Zachary Harmon, the Vicar of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Hampstead, NH and one of the event’s co-chairs. He shares with Colin where he got the idea for a revival in NH and what has surprised him most about planning such an event. We also welcome Jerusalem Greer, Staff Officer for Evangelism on the Presiding Bishop’s staff. Jerusalem tells her story of how she went from growing up a Southern Baptism in Alaska to being the central point person for Revivals through the entire Episcopal Church. Finally, we offer you a segment from a previous episode of our sister podcast, Priest Pulse where it’s hosts, Colin and Fr. Benjamin Gildas, interview the Rev. Dr. Patricia Lyons - the guest leader for the May 4th revival. Tricia, currently serves in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington as Canon for Evangelism. She is also on the the Presiding Bishop’s Cabinet on Evangelism. Dr. Lyons is one of the most sought-after teachers, speakers and preachers on faith formation and evangelism across mainline denominations. Register for the Revival: NHEpiscopal.org/events/revival St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church: http://www.stchristophersnh.org/ Jerusalem Greer: https://jerusalemgreer.com/ Priest’s Pulse Episode with the Rev. Dr. Patricia Lyons  

It was a big weekend for me. I had a 10-year anniversary yesterday and of course there was the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Saturday!It was 10 years ago that I joined the Episcopal Church at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville. In 2008, it was Mother’s Day, Pentecost Sunday and the day that the Bishop laid hands on my head to receive me into the Episcopal Church.I’d always been a church goer but had never had the “fire” and conviction until I met the people of St. George’s. It brought the love of Jesus into clear focus that I’d never experienced before.Six weeks ago I attended an Episcopal Revival in Honduras as part of the #JesusMovement. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preached on both Saturday and Sunday and knocked it out of the park. I had the pleasure of dinner conversation with him and he is a genuine, warm person whose love of Jesus is sincere and overflows in all dimensions.In preaching at the Royal Wedding on Saturday, Presiding Bishop Curry talked about the love of Jesus and how our love for Him and our neighbors can change the world.Here’s the transcript of his 13 minute sermon, “The Power of Love”: Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Sermon at Royal Wedding. Every word was inspiring but the stanza of an old hymn reminded us that we all have a role in spreading the good news:“There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole," and one of the stanzas actually explains why. They said:“If you cannot preach like Peter,And you cannot pray like Paul,You just tell the love of Jesus,How he died to save us all.”Oh, that’s the balm in Gilead!This way of love, it is the way of life. I’m going to keep preaching, praying and writing until the world is changed.Will you join me?Blessings,Agatha Nolen

St. George's Gate at the visitor's entrance to Windsor Castle, England One year ago on May 23rd I was at Windsor Castle on a pilgrimage with my church tracing our Anglican roots. The photo is from the St. George’s Gate at the visitor’s entrance into the Castle.Last month on April 7th I attended an Episcopal Revival in Honduras, ¡Avivamiento! where I met and heard Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preach for the first time. Here’s a link to the sermon he delivered at the Revival: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/video/most-rev-michael-curry-diocese-honduras-revival.These two events intersect this Saturday morning when Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church (USA) will be delivering the sermon this Saturday at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. It will be at 6AM CDT. I’ll be watching and taping the event.Presiding Bishop Curry issued this statement: "The love that has brought and will bind Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle together has its source and origin in God, and is the key to life and happiness," Curry, the church's presiding bishop, said in a statement. "And so we celebrate and pray for them today."I can’t wait to hear how the #JesusMovement changes lives and blesses those with the key to life and happiness.Blessings, my friendAgatha

I just returned from my first Episcopal Revival. Started in 2017 in Pittsburgh, these revivals by the Episcopal Church are designed to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in the language of the people and provide open space where we can share our stories about God.I attended a Billy Graham Crusade in Oklahoma City in 1983 and wondered if this new Episcopal Revival was going to be similar. Many aspects were with great Spirit-filled music and inspired preaching. However, the service ended differently in Honduras.In 1983 in Oklahoma City, the last song began to play and Mr. Graham announced an altar call—that anyone who was ready to commit their life to Christ could come forward where they would be taken off-stage and people would pray for their new-found commitment. I had joined a Southern Baptist Church a few years earlier and wasn’t moved to leave my seat on that particular night, but it was very emotional as many people went forward.As the local band started to play the last song in Honduras last week, I wondered if it was going to be the same “altar call”. Presiding Bishop Curry recognized Bishop Allen from Honduras and Bishop Allen instead requested that all his clergy come forward and stand in front of him on the stage. As the clergy made their way to the front, the band played softly in the background.When 50 or so clergy had come forward, Bishop Allen offered a different altar call in both Spanish and English: “If anyone today desires to be healed, I invite you to come forward where we will pray for you.”It was emotional for the 3000 attendees, and people began lining up before each clergy, six and eight deep to receive the laying on of hands and healing prayer.I was reminded of the story in the Gospel of John 5:6 where a disabled man had been an invalid for 38 years and was lying by a pool. When Jesus learned of the man’s infirmity he didn’t ask him if he was ready to commit his life to Christ. Instead he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (¿Quieres ser sano?)Tears flowed as we admitted that we needed to be healed and moved forward to receive healing prayer.Blessings, my friend,Agatha

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and interpreter Dinorah Padro, April 7, 2018 I just returned from six days in Honduras where I toured a home for girls (Our Little Roses) and two Episcopal bilingual schools in the San Pedro Sula area, and attended an Episcopal Revival, ¡Avivamiento! in Siguatepeque. The revival was a great place of renewal with Hispanic music, great preaching by Bishop Lloyd Allen and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry as well as other clergy from the United States and Honduras. At the close of the day, clergy were available to offer healing prayer and the lines were long.The revival is just what I needed: good music, a return to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit’s healing presence. I came to appreciate the warmth of a Hispanic worship service from my 10 years in San Antonio where we would worship at the San Fernando Cathedral to enjoy a service in both Spanish and English complete with a Mariachi band!Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has embraced “The Jesus Movement” which is described as how we are following Jesus into loving, liberating and life-giving relationships with God, with each other, and with the earth.Membership in The Jesus Movement is straightforward: First, we follow Jesus. We are the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement, seeking every day to love God with our whole heart, mind and soul, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). Just like Jesus. Episcopal Revivals seek to fulfill that age-old purpose, in a uniquely Episcopal way. They aim to:1) proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in the language of the people,2) share faith and open space for others’ stories about God,3) organize people to embody good news through reconciling action and justice,4) engage in intensified prayer and preparation before, during and after the “event”,5) gather a diverse body that crosses lines of age, race, culture, and class, and,6) equip and send people to share, celebrate and embody the good news in daily life.Our world can use more good news in our daily lives.¡Vamos! ¡Avivamiento!Blessings, my friend,Agatha