We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Prayer

Praying Differently this Summer

1. With Clenched Hands

Close your eyes and clench your hands tightly.

Imagine all the pressures and worries and tensions you carry here today. We hold on to a lot of things.

Then, in your own time, turn your gripped hands over so that they are facing down. Imagine God’s hands underneath yours and slowly open your hands so that the things you are carrying fall into God’s hands.

You may wish to repeat this several times. Turn your hands face up, but this time with the palms open and ask God’s Spirit to fill you afresh everything.

2.Worry Knots

As you think about these things, tie a knot in the rope to represent each worry and how it ties you up inside.

Matthew 6:25-34 reminds us, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

As you untie each knot you made ask God to help you problem-solve when and how you can.

Prayer events coming up

1. May 4 – The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May. On this day, people of all faiths pray for the nation. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. There will be a national service on 8pm-10pm or here



2. Julian of Norwich, May 8. What does a 14th Century Mystic have to with us ? One of the first women authors, her visions (“showings”) of Christ continue to inspire.

We also know her by her famous quote “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” We celebrate her day on May 8.

Julian’s Revelations of Divine Love is based on a series of sixteen visions she received on the 8th of May 1373. In her 30th year she was expected to die from an illness. “Then, on the seventh day, the medical crisis passed, and she had a series of fifteen visions, or “showings,” in which she was led to contemplate the Passion of Christ. These brought her great peace and joy. She became an anchoress, living in a small hut near to the church in Norwich, where she devoted the rest of her life to prayer and contemplation of the meaning of her visions.”

Listen to a podcast on her with a brief article.

3. “The Balanced Diet of Prayer” This is an article by the Rev. Canon Dr. Andrew R. Wright.

“However we pray, it’s important to attend to the range of ways that we are invited to respond to God in prayer. One way to remember a “balanced diet” of prayer is the acronym ACTS, which stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.” Check out the article!