Fr. Lawrence Kern was an exemplary priest and friend who had spent 51 years in the service of the Lord as His priest and was an active pastor till before his death. A great inspiration for all priests who wish to follow the Lord and follow His Great Commission. The faithful of St. Gabriel's, Greeley, CO,The Diocese of Holy Trinity and Great Plains and the Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite rejoices that we have gained our beloved Fr. Kern in heaven to remember us before the throne of Almighty God. The following is a tribute from his niece, Kathleen Tuttle to the loving memory of Fr. Kern, delivered by Gary Debus at the Requiem of Fr. Lawrence Kern

Although a very private person, Lawrence was a person of many interests. He was very shy until he put his collar on and then he found his niche in life. It was his aim to be a minister from the time he was a little boy. Many of his ancestors were in the clergy or teachers. He was both.

He attended school first at Cache La Poudre school in Laporte, then attended and graduated from Eaton High School. He went to the Colorado State College of Education in Greeley to become a High school English/History teacher and graduated in 1953. He taught school in Kansas and Wyoming for three years. Then entered the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley CA with the encouragement of Dorothy Waterbus of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Fort Collins.

He was ordained to the priesthood Dec. 21, 1960 by the Right Reverend Joseph S. Minnis, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado. He first served his apprenticeship in Boulder CO where he expanded his cooking abilities and housekeeping. He did counseling at Haight-Ashbury. He was assigned to Clearfield Utah where he had several churches. This experience was valuable when he served in Leadville and had the Timberline Circuit through the mountains. Here he met Gary and Joanne.

Lawrence took time to stay with his mother and father in Fort Collins while she was in ill health. During that time, he filled in and helped with churches such as Estes Park, Fort Collins, Cheyenne, and others in the state of Colorado.

He later served in Ouray where he again made many friends. He was there during the time the parish hall was rebuild to match the 19th century church. He retired from the Episcopal Church and returned to Fort Collins.

He was invited by the Bishop of the Anglican Church to serve in his Diocese. Then Father Larry returned to Ouray to serve in the Anglican Diocese. He came back to Greeley when this church was meeting in another facility. It was decided to buy this historic house and use it as St. Gabriel’s. Father served here until his death.

He was well known for helping the homeless, having his own food pantry and giving out bus tokens for United Way. People came from distant places for baptisms and marriages. There were 100 baptisms in 2009 and 210 in 2010. He was still scheduled to do several baptisms and a wedding at the time of his hospitalization.

St. Gabriel’s and service to God were his purpose in life . He often said that, “God has a purpose for me being in this church on this corner. When he is done with his work with me on Earth, he will take me.”

Father Kern was interested in genealogy and archaeology, traveling extensively in the Southwest USA as well as Mexico with his friends. His interest in genealogy resulted in the editing of two books, Ouray County Cemeteries and Delores County Cemeteries.

In Ouray he joined the Masonic Order and served as Master of the Lodge there.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harrold and Ida Kern, sister Betty (Lois Elizabeth) Watson Alvarez and grand nephew, James Sharp. Survivors include his sister, Barbara Tuttle of Fort Collins; five nieces: Vera Selland (Terry) of Loveland, Rebecca (Argus) Markle of Arkansas, Mary Beth (Bill) Akers of Arkansas, Charlotte (James) McAllister of California and Kathleen Tuttle (Greg Golovanoff) of Idaho, and a step nephew, Greg Alvarez (Mary) of CA. Great nephews and nieces [: Diana Eliason, Mike Sharp, Gayle Sharp; Charles, Jeff, Dwight, Vince, Dana (Jenkins), Jason and Jeanette (Murchinson) Markle; Terri and Lance Akers; Mike and Kim Kinzer; Cassandra (Jeff) Slota, Teresa (Kevin) Roseman, Elizabeth Golovanoff; 36 great grand nieces and nephews (8 step);] and numerous great great grand nephews and nieces.

He loved animals and had special ones in his life, his childhood collie, Frisky Patches and his cat companion of 23 years, Babe. His human friends were numerous. Of his best friends who have gone before him were, Martle Mischke, the Bruces, Fr. Bacon, and others. Some of his long time friends were David Houtz, Chita Labsack, Gary and Joanne Debus, and nephew of Martle Mischke, Paul Lewis.

We want to thank his friends and relatives who have been very helpful over the years and during his illness, especially Gary and Joanne and Teresa and Kevin Roseman. A very special thank you to the Bishop Leo and his wife and to Retired Bishop McNealy and his wife. Thank you to all who came today to celebrate the life and memory of Father Lawrence Kern.

It was January 1, 2012. My wife Holly and I landed in Los Angeles for the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl game between Wisconsin Badgers and Oregon Ducks.

It was evening by the time we got to Rosemead, CA. We stayed at the Salesian residence, with my friend, Fr. Joseph Matthew whom I had known since our seminary days. He led us to our room. Holly's eyes caught something extraordinary just outside the room, on the cement floor in the courtyard.

The spot served as the home of potted plants that were watered daily and had left a mark on the cement floor.

Miracle? What do you see? Random water mark or Blessed Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. Later, Father Joseph Matthew reminded us that it was the first of January, which happens to be the Feast of The Mother of God, when we noticed the image.

This is something out of the ordinary. You can see the video below:

Advent, another new beginning in the Christian Year of Worship and Preparation for His Second Coming. Another year of opportunity to return back to the Lord from whom we come, to whom we belong and to whom we shall go back. Its a great time to turn away from sin and seek His face. May we be found faithful in His service at His Second Coming.

The import of this season is highlighted by Vernon Staley himself. Excerpt from the "Catholic Religion" a manual of instruction for members of the anglican communion by Vernon Staley- 1893 (Courtesy of google books on line):

10. The Return to Judgment.. From thence He shall come to judge the Quick and the Dead."

The second coming of our Lord, which is the hope of His Church, will differ in many ways from His first coming. He came first in great humility when He did not abhor the Virgin's womb, His second coming shall be in awful majesty. His first coming was as the Saviour of the world, He will come again to be our Judge. It is in commemoration of these great events, the one in the past, the other in the future, that the Church keeps the season of Advent.

That our Lord will come again is perfectly certain, for He has said so; but the time of His coming is veiled in uncertainty. He who said,.' they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost
part of heaven," went on to add, " But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father," [St. Mark xiii. 26, 27, 32]

The purpose of the second coming of Jesus Christ is stated in the Creed,-" He shall come to judge the quick and the dead." By the expression II the quick," we are to understand
the living,-those who shall be -alive on the earth at the second coming of Jesus Christ. Of such it is written that they" which are alive and remain shall be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."[ 1 Thess, iv. 17]

The day of judgment is described as "the day when the Son of Man is revealed." [St. Luke xvii. 30] By this we may understand that before pronouncing sentence, Jesus Christ will first satisfy the assembled universe of His righteous claim to be their judge, so that friend and foe alike may be convinced of His perfect equity.

The day of judgment will be the day of justice, when all life's inequalities will be put right, and everyone will get his due. As such St. John speaks of it,-" I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:" and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."[Rev. xx. II-13]

The judge will be none other than our Incarnate Lord Himself, "the Son of Man." "The Father hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man."[St. John v. 27.] We shall be judged by one who is both God and Man. In the divinity of our Lord, we have the assurance that He will judge us fairly, for as God He knows oar frailty, our temptations, and our struggles. In the humanity of our Lord, we have the pledge that we shall be judged tenderly, for as Man He knows from experience what we are, and what we can do. We shall be judged with God's perfect justice, and with man's perfect sympathy. The result of the judgment is separation; the Judge "shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats," every soul going to its own place, the place for which it has fitted itself, at the right hand, or at the left hand of the judge. "Then shall the king say unto them on 'his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,"-and again "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."[ St. Matt. xxv. 31 to end.]

In speaking of this solemn subject St. Basil writes,-" Blessed is that soul, which day and night hash no other care than how, in the great day, when every creature shall stand around the Judge to give an account of their works, she shall be able to relate her life. For whosoever continually places that day and that hour before his eyes, and ever thinks of his defence at that most just tribunal, is likely to commit no sins,or at least very few," [Quoted by Bishop Forbes. Nicene Creed p. 249]

vi. "The Communion of Saints."

By the term "communion" in this article of the Creed, we are to understand "fellowship." This fellowship of saints is grounded on the truth that all the saints,.living and departed, are united to Jesus Christ, and form His mystic Body. The saints are members one of another, because they are members of Christ's Body, the Holy Catholic Church. "So we, being many, We one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."(Rom xii.5)

The term "saints," or holy ones, is applied in the New Testament to all the baptised living upon earth, who have not forfeited baptismal grace. The baptised are saints in the sense that they have been sanctified by. baptism, and are called to lead a holy life. As fellow-members of the Body of Christ, they hold the same faith, receive the same sacraments, join in the same worship, and share in common its blessings and its hopes.

But in later use, and according to modern custom, the term "saints" is applied to the more distinguished members of the Church, and especially to such as have departed this life, and are now with Christ. The Church has thus specially honoured the Blessed Virgin, the Apostles, and the Martyrs, and other great leaders of the army of the faithful. These may be regarded now as among "the spirits of just men made perfect,"(Heb.xii.23) and certain of their number we keep in honour, and commemorate on "Saints' Days." Such are described in the collect for All Saints'*Day as the "blessed saints." This same communion also embraces all the faithful departed who are now in Paradise, in the intermediate state. The article of the Creed teaches that we are in close relation to all these holy ones beyond the grave, that they remember us before God and pray for us.

The term "saints " is also applied in the Old Testament to the holy angels,(Deut. xxxiii.2) the first family of God, who minister to all below who are in Christ. The Epistle to the Hebrews (xii.22) speaks of "an innumerable company of angels," to whom the redeemed race of mankind "are come," and who will hereafter be gathered into a closer union with us in Christ.

Thus the communion of saints embraces the whole family of God,—the glorified saints, the holy angels, the faithful departed, and the faithful still on earth.

That the saints who have gone before pray for us, has always been the belief of the Church. We believe that they join in prayer for us on earth with a power which was. not theirs whilst in the flesh,—the mother for her children, the priest for his flock, friend for friend. In what way, or to what extent, the saints are conscious of our needs, has not been revealed to us; yet we *may ask God to grant us a share in their intercessions.

The English Church in Article XXII. condemns "the Romish doctrine concerning invocation of saints," that is to say, that system of prayer to the saints which led to their being regarded otherwise than as exalted suppliants. Before the Reformation serious abuses had arisen. It was supposed, for instance, that the saints had power with' God because of their own merits, and that they were kinder and had greater sympathy for sinners than Christ our Saviour. Modern Roman books of devotion speak of the Blessed Virgin Mary especially, in a manner which we believe to be quite inconsistent with the honour due to our Lord.

Upon this subject we quote the words of Dr. Pusey,—" The exclusive address of unseen beings has an obvious tendency at once to fall into a sort of worship; it is too like the mode in which we address Almighty God to be any way safe; the exclusive request of their intercessions is likely at once to constitute them intercessors in a way different from God's servants on earth, and (which is the great practical evil of these prayers in the Roman Church) to interfere with the office of the Great Intercessor;"(Letter to Bishop of Oxford, p. 198.) and again "For members of the English Church, who desire the prayers of the departed, it has to him ever seemed safest to express the desire for those prayers to God 'of Whom and through Whom and to Whom are all things.' ("Letter to the Bishop of London, p. 143, and note.)

It is quite right to pray for the departed, if we have a good hope that they died in God's favour. And where no such hope exists, we may commend them to His mercy. If we remember that they are still in a place of waiting, it is natural to pray for them. The Jews regularly used such prayers in their public services, and our Lord, who attended those services, must have often joined in them. He nowhere rebuked the practice. In St. Paul's words,—" the Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day," (2 Tim. i. 18, compare with verse 16.)we have an example of prayer for the departed. The context seems to shew that Onesiphorus was dead when St. Paul wrote these words. The Church has always prayed for the dead. In the writings of St. Augustine we read that his mother Monica, at the close of her life "gave no injunctions concerning such things as these (her burial arrangements), but desired only that a memorial of her might be made at Thine Altar." The allusion here is to prayers for the dead in union with the Eucharistic Sacrifice. St. Augustine adds,—" May she rest, then, in peace together with her husband. . . And inspire, O Lord my God . . . my brethren . . . that so many as shall read these pages, may at Thy Altar remember Thy handmaid Monica, with Patricius." (Confessions ix.13) The early forms of Service for the Holy Communion are called the Primitive Liturgies. There is not one of these which does not contain prayers for the dead. The early Liturgies possess an authority second only to the Holy Scriptures. We append a prayer drawn up from expressions in the Primitive Liturgies, to shew the kind of petitions we may safely make to God for the faithful dead.

'Remember, O Lord God, the souls of Thy servants who have departed this life in Thy faith and fear, whom we remember, or who are forgotten upon earth. Do Thou grant unto them, and unto all who rest in Christ, a place of refreshment, of light, and of peace, in Thy kingdom, in Thy paradise, in the bosom of Abraham, where sorrow pain and sighing are banished away, and where the light of Thy Countenance ever shineth.

iii. The Eucharistic Feast, commonly called The Holy Communion.

Our Blessed Lord ordained the Sacrament of the Eucharist in order that we might be able on earth to plead His Sacrifice before the Face of God, even as He does in heaven. But beyond this, He had a further object in view, and one of supreme importance, viz., that He might feed our souls with His Body and Blood.

That we may thus be able to feed upon Him, He has given to His Church authority to consecrate, by the power of His Holy Spirit, bread and wine to become His Body and Blood. When we receive the bread and the wine thus consecrated, we verily and indeed receive His Sacred Flesh and Blood.

This is what is known as the doctrine of the Real Presence. The term Real Presence signifies the presence of a Reality. This Reality is the Body and Blood of Christ, present in the Sacrament under the form of bread and wine.1 Our Lord's presence in the Eucharist is a spiritual presence. By a spiritual presence we do not mean something unreal or figurative, but a presence which is not natural or material. Angels are spiritual beings, but none the less real beings. A spiritual presence is a presence of a supernatural kind,—of a higher order than a merely natural presence. Our Blessed Lord is locally present in heaven, He is spiritually present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Holy Communion is thus the most blessed and the most solemn Thing upon earth.it affords the nearest approach to God of which the soul is capable here below. When we come to the Holy Communion we should always remember that we are approaching the Throne of God. The Divine Liturgy of St. James instructs the celebrant to say,—" Not as being worthy, but looking up to Thy Goodness, I address my voice unto Thee. O God be merciful to me a sinner: I have sinned against heaven and before Thee, and am not worthy to present myself before this Thy sacred and spiritual Table, whereon Thine only-begotten Son, and our Lord Jesus Christ, is mystically set forth as a sacrifice for me a sinner."*1 We should never speak of receiving bread and wine in the Sacrament, but rather of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ which are hidden beneath the bread and wine. The reader may learn much more about the Holy Communion by reading our Lord's own words about it, recorded in the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, beginning at the twenty-seventh verse.

*1: "The bread, which is produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly." St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies. Bk. iv

Bishop Jayaraj is no stranger to Anglicanism. He was born to Anglican parents, Jane and Jeyaraj David in Rangoon, Burma on May 6, 1940 and baptized at St Ga¬briel’s SPG Tamil Church by the late Rev Gell Rajiah. During the War the family moved to Madras, India. Father was educated at St Paul’ High School and was confirmed by the Right Reverend Da¬vid Chellappa, M.A. (Durham), Dip in Edu.(Lond), L.Th (St Au¬gustine, Canterbury) D.D. (Hope College, USA), his former Head¬master, using the 1662 version of the BCP. Father sang in the choir of St Paul’s SPG Tamil Church and served at the Altar Guild. He had passed the pianoforte Intermediate examination of the Trinity College of Music, London and the Music Theory (Grade V) of the Royal School of Music, London. His mother and her sister played the piano and uncles the guitar and from them he developed a mu¬sical sense at a very early age. At St Paul’s School Father obtained the prestigious Gwartkin Theology Prize which remitted tuition for a year. Father’s only brother, Major Jeyaraj T. S. Dalton B.Sc. (Tech) M.I.E. had won this award the previous year.

After high school, Father went to the prestigious Jesuit School, Loyola College, Madras and graduated in Political Sci¬ence and Public Administration securing the first place in Madras University examination and the Steenkiste Politics Medal awarded by Loyola College. He was instructed in New Testament by the late Fr L.D. Murphy S.J., O.B.E. and received the prize for writing the best essay at the examination.

Father Jayaraj holds several degrees: an M.S.W. from the Delhi School of Social Work, an LL.B. from Meerut University and membership in the Delhi and later, Tamil Nadu Bar, an M.S. (In¬dustrial In¬dustrial and Labor Relations) from Cornell, an M.S. in Research, Statistics and Measurement from Central Connecticut State Uni-versity studying under the famous Professor, Dr Shawky Karas Ed.D. (Columbia) and a Deacon in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Father’s entire family - Hamsa, Stephen and Augustus - studied under this Professor taking one to several courses in Statistics .He also has an Advanced Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Lead¬ership from the same university and an earned doctorate, Sacrum Theologicae Doctores (STD) from St Elias School of Orthodox Theology.

Father Jayaraj is married to Hamsa Patricia, an Angli¬can and the daughter of Mrs and Mr Manuel D. Azariah M,Sc., Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu, an Agricultural Scientist and Director of Central Potato Research Center and the niece of Dr. M.D. Paul Ed.D.(Columbia) Director of Public Instruction (DPI) and a well known Christian in Tamil Nadu who did not hesitate to preach Christ and the need to accept Him as Lord and Master to anyone who came to his office or home. Hamsa is a Medical Doctor who served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. She also won 17 awards at Madras Medical College including several gold med¬als. She recently retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserves and the Veterans’ Hospital, CT but takes on short term assignments. The couple have two sons, Steve (Kent School where he obtained the Dean Rose Theology Prize and Emory University, Atlanta, GA) and Augustus, a medical student finishing off his fi¬nal term of internship in West Virginia. Augie studied at Chase Collegiate School, Fairfield University, and Cornell University where he obtained a Masters in Statistics. Father Jayaraj has ex¬tensive business and administrative experience both in the private and public sector. He recently retired as the Waterbury’ Personnel Director. He served on the Vestry and Finance Board of St John’s Episcopal Church, Waterbury. He was also the Chairman of the Parish Development Committee and served on a taskforce to study and recommend investment strategies for the parish as well as to write a job description for the Rector.

Father Jayaraj was ordained a deacon and priest in the continuing An¬glican Church of India by Primus, the Most Rev Jai Singh Thakore in 1989. Both Fr David T.P. Bradley and Fr Peter Tompkins introduced him to the ACC and urged he come into the Missionary Diocese of New England.

Bishop Bruce Chamberlain initially licensed Father Jayaraj to officiate at Ascension Anglican Church, Griswold, CT and later incardinated him into the Chamber succession. Upon Hamsa’s active duty to Bosnia Bishop Kleppinger received the family into the Mili¬tary Ordinariate. Father served St David’s Anglican Church, Galwasy, NY and since 1995 the Church of the Holy Comforter, Poughkeepsie, NY.

Father’s Anglican roots are deep. His great grandfather as well as Father Joseph David of Seattle, the late Joseph David was the Rector of St Paul Anglican Church, Meignanapuram which is the largest Anglican Church in India. In one of his trips to India he was invited to preach at this church and his sermon was broadcast to the entire village. He was also invited to preach at St Thomas SPG Tamil Cathedral at Secunderabad,a continuing and indepen¬dent Anglican Church under the Most Rev Duraisingh James. About 500 persons came to hear Fr Jayaraj who spoke in Tamil while simultaneously trans¬lating his sermon in English.

From the Tradition of Bishop Azariah: Father will not be the first bishop in his clan. The first indigenous bishop in India during the British occupation, Vedan¬ayagam Samuel Azariah of Dornakal described as the ‘great preacher, teacher and evangelist’ is his grand uncle. The bishop went to Dornakal in the neighboring State of Andhra, then infested with snakes and wild animals alone after studying a new language, Telugu as a missionary. Dornakal was under a Muslim Ruler, the Nizam, then the richest man in the world. The bishop was later joined by his cousin the late Rev Samuel Packianathan also a grand uncle to Father Jayaraj. When the bishop died, Dor¬nakal was a Diocese with 200,000 Anglicans. Father remembers his Dad telling him that Bishop Azariah loved to preach on Psalm 136. “Let us bless the Lord who remembered us in our low es¬tate. His mercy endures forever.” He also remembers an anecdote where the bishop was a guest in one of his uncles’ home. When the host went downtairs in the middle of the night to drink water, he found the bishop on his knees fervently praying to God. The bishop never confirmed anyone nor did he pronounce the blessing after a retreat until the confirmands and retreatants knit their hands together, placed them on their heads and loudly proclaimed,” Owe unto me if I preach not the gospel.” Father also remember having heard from several preacher that the bishop wrote a book on Christian Giving where he laid the thesis that Christian Giving begins when it hurts. Bishop Azariah did not believe in taking handouts from foreign bishops even for church growth. So he founded the indigenous Indian Missionary Society (IMS) and the National Missionary Society (NMS). Both have done wonderful missionary work and continue to do so. They are supported by the Indian diaspora throughout the world. “Missionaries except for a few of the very best, seem to me to fail very largely in getting rid of an air of patronage and condescension, and in establishing a genuinely brotherly and happy relation as between equals with their Indian flocks… You have given your goods to feed the poor. You have given your bodies to be burned. We also ask for love. GIVE US FRIENDS.”(Bishop V.S Azariah to delegates at the 1910 Edinburgh Conference, cited in Jonathan Bonk, Mission and Money. The first Indian bishop of the Anglican Church in India). Bishop Jayaraj hopes to rekindle the Anglican ethos in the footsteps of Bishop Azariah, bringing the faith once delivered unto the saints to the Indian populace that is in India and around the world

Here is the unedited version of the same from the 1928 BCP

The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony

DEARLY beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church: which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of Saint Paul to be honour-able among all men: and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, dis-creetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace.

¶ And also speaking unto the Persons who are to be married, he shall say,

I REQUIRE and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impedi-ment, why ye may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, ye do now confess it. For be ye well assured, that if any persons are joined together otherwise than as God’s Word doth allow, their marriage is not lawful.

¶ The Minister, if he shall have reason to doubt of the lawfulness of the proposed Marriage, may demand sufficient surety for his indemnification: but if no impediment shall be alleged, or suspected, the Minister shall say to the Man,

N. WILT thou have this Woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live? ¶ The Man shall answer,

I will.

¶ Then shall the Minister say unto the Woman,

N. WILT thou have this Man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?

¶ The Woman shall answer,

I will.

¶ Then shall the Minister say,

Who giveth this Woman to be married to this Man?

¶ Then shall they give their troth to each other in this manner. The Minister, receiving the Woman at her father's or friend's hands, shall cause the Man with his right hand to take the Woman by her right hand, and to say after him as followeth.

I N. take thee N. to my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.

¶ Then shall they loose their hands; and the Woman with her right hand taking the Man by his right hand, shall likewise say after the Minister,

I N. take thee N. to my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth. ¶ Then shall they again loose their hands; and the Man shall give unto the Woman a Ring on this wise: the Minister taking the Ring shall deliver it unto the Man, to put it upon the fourth finger of the Woman’s left hand. And the Man holding the Ring there, and taught by the Minister, shall say,

WITH this Ring I thee wed: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. ¶ And, before delivering the Ring to the Man, the Minister may say as followeth.

BLESS, O Lord, this Ring, that he who gives it and she who wears it may abide in thy peace, and continue in thy favour, unto their life's end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Then, the Man leaving the Ring upon the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand, the Minister shall say,

Let us pray.

¶ Then shall the Minister and the People, still standing, say the Lord's Prayer.

OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive, those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

¶ Then shall the Minister add,

O ETERNAL God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, Giver of all spiritual grace, the Author of everlasting life; Send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this man and this woman, whom we bless in thy Name; that they, living faithfully together, may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, (whereof this Ring given and received is a token and pledge,) and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live accord-ing to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ The Minister may add one or both of the following prayers.

O ALMIGHTY God, Creator of mankind, who only art the well-spring of life; Bestow upon these thy servants, if it be thy will, the gift and heritage of children; and grant that they may see their children brought up in thy faith and fear, to the honour and glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, who hast so consecrated the state of Matrimony that in it is represented the spiritual marriage and unity betwixt Christ and his Church; Look mercifully upon these thy servants, that they may love, honour, and cherish each other, and so live together in faithfulness and patience, in wisdom and true godliness, that their home may be a haven of blessing and of peace; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

¶ Then shall the Minister join their right hands together, and say,

Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

¶ Then shall the Minister speak unto the company.

FORASMUCH as N. and N. have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving a Ring, and by joining hands; I pronounce that they are Man and Wife, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

¶ The Man and Wife kneeling, the Minister shall add this Blessing.

GOD the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favour look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Amen.

¶ The laws respecting Matrimony, whether by publishing the Banns in Churches, or by Licence, being different in the several States, every Minister is left to the direction of those laws, in every thing that regards the civil contract between the parties.

¶ And when the Banns are published, it shall be in the following form: I publish the Banns of Marriage between N. of —, and N. of —. If any of you know cause, or just impediment, why these two persons should not be joined together in holy Matrimony, ye are to declare it. This is the first [second or third] time of asking.

St. James Anglican Church, Kansas City will present the GOOD FRIDAY WAY OF THE CROSS at J.C. Nichols Fountain - Mill Creek Park, Kansas City this GOOD FRIDAY.

We wanted to take the church to the market place and bear witness to the faith vis a vis significance of Good Friday when Christ died for the sins of the world. Its easy to have the service within the confines of our church. How wonderful it is to express our faith and witness to the same, with the hope of touching someone and bringing them close to the heart of God.

Beautiful things happened and are worth mentioning. The photo in the ad above is from Claire Kean, a teenage photographer who took the picture during her hike in Germany. Claire is a wonderful and generous young lady, very affable and kind. She is a great painter and photographer. It was wonderful meeting with her family on our way back from a Writers Conference. Thank you Claire and may the Good Lord continue to guide you.

Wanting to display this brochure in grocery stores, I went to HyVee's on stateline. The lady was very sweet and said she would display it on the community board. Went to Mcgonigles the meat market, where we are frequent visitor. One of the cashiers said, "you need to get the owners permission." I was in my black clerical shirt. I walked in and he said, "you want me?" I said yes. "What did I do?" he said looking at my clergy wear. He was very kind and asked me to display the brochure on the bulletin board. God bless him.

The liturgy and the scripture readings during this week lead up to the climax of the Holy Week, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord. Salvation extended to us time and time again, divine forgiveness is poured upon us over and over again. "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."(John 12:32)

O GOD, merciful and compassionate, who art ever ready to hear the prayers of those who put their trust in thee; Graciously hearken to us who call upon thee, and grant us thy help in this our need; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our hearts are filled with grief at the passing away of Mrs. Madelyn McNeley. She entered into the gates of larger life on Monday January 24, 2011 A.D.

Rest eternal grant unto Mrs. Madelyn O Lord and let Light perpetual shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen.Mrs. Madelyn McNeley was a great and dedicated member of the Diocese of Holy Trinity and Great Plains and a wonderful inspiration to all. A magnificent example of what all a lady could do to for the church and diocese; Sunday School Teacher, Altar Guild, Secretary to Bishop McNeley and many other duties while being an exemplary and affable spouse of Bishop McNeley.

You will be dearly missed Mrs. Madelyn but we hope to meet with you someday in heaven, joining you in singing His praise and glory.

Here is Mrs. Madelyn's most cherished of hymns from the 1940 Hymnal.

Madelyn Elizabeth McNeley, 82, of Fort Scott, Kan., passed away Monday, Jan. 24, 2011 at the Mercy Health Center.
She was born May 26, 1928 in Drywood, Kan., the daughter of Ray Allison and Edna Parilee (Vassar) Picht.

She married James R. McNeley Dec. 26, 1956 in Fort Scott, Kan.

Survivors include her husband, James, of the home; two daughters, Gina (McNeley) Karleskint and husband Jack, of Fort Scott; and Mary McNeley of Grants Pass, Ore.; a sister, Maudine Picht, of Fort Scott; six grandchildren, Matthew Karleskint and wife Kati (Todd), Douglas Karleskint and wife Kyla (Boots), Michael Karleskint, Aaron Stetz, Leif Stetz, and Meghan Stetz; and two great-grandchildren, Alli Karleskint, and Jadin Karleskint.

Madelyn was preceded in death by her parents.

Following cremation, Right Rev. Leo Michael will conduct the Requiem Mass 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 at the All Saints Anglican Church in Chicopee, Kan., under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the All Saints Anglican Church and left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall St., P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, Kan., 66701.

Online condolences may be emailed to expressions@konantz-cheney.com

Click here to read the obituary from Fort Scott Tribune

- Christina Rossetti (1885

but as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God -- to those believing in his name John 1:12

May we embrace the Son of God born for us - Jesus, the one who saves us from sin. Have a Blessed Christmas!

R: The Lord our king is drawing near O come, let us adore Him
Near in DEED is Christ the Lord. Come Let us adore Him.
R: The Lord our king is drawing near O come, let us adore Him

Lesson from the Old Testament:Isaiah 7:13-14And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Lesson from the New Testament: Luke 1: 26-33Glory be to thee, O Lord
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Praise be to thee, O Christ

December 24: Antiphone
When the first rays of morn light the heavens, shall you behold the King of kings
proceeding from the Father as a bride-groom from His chamber leaving.

R: The Lord our king is drawing near O come, let us adore Him
Tomorrow shall the earth be freed FROM all iniquity/and the Saviour of the world shall REIGN over us.
R: The Lord our king is drawing near O come, let us adore Him

Lesson from the Old Testament: Isaiah 40:9-11O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold,the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Lesson from the New Testament: John 10:14-16Glory be to thee, O Lord
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Praise be to thee, O Christ

December 23: Antiphone
O Emmanuel, our king and legislator, expected of all nations and their only salvation, O come be our redeemer, Lord our God and master

The Magnificat

My soul doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth * all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me; * and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the humble and meek;.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; * and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; * as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.
Glory be.

December 23: Antiphone
O Emmanuel, our king and legislator, expected of all nations and their only salvation, O come be our redeemer, Lord our God and master

Lesson from the New Testament: Mark 8:17-25
Glory be to thee, O Lord
And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto
him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
Praise be to thee, O Christ

December 22: Antiphone
O King of Nations, Long Desired and Awaited, The Builder’ Cornerstone, you bind in one what was divided. O come to save sinful man, mortal clay you once fashioned.

The Magnificat

My soul doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth * all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me; * and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the humble and meek;.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; * and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; * as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.
Glory be.

December 22: Antiphone
O King of Nations, Long Desired and Awaited, The Builder’ Cornerstone, you bind in one what was divided. O come to save sinful man, mortal clay you once fashioned.