Mission Calling – St. Nick’s News Feb. 28, 2025

Full St. Nick’s News for February 28, 2025

Dear Friends,

Last week we celebrated a glorious milestone of becoming a Mission church in the Diocese of West Texas at our 121st Diocesan Council! You were well represented by 52 of your St. Nick’s family members. It was a glorious and beautiful celebration. I am beyond thankful for God’s faithfulness these past five years and look forward with great hope and expectation for the next five years. If you did not have a chance to see our council presentation you can find it here.

This coming week we are entering the season of Lent. This is a time we set apart to prepare ourselves for the glory of Easter and Christ’s resurrection. We make time for prayer, service, and reflection, turning toward God so we might be renewed and draw near to Christ Jesus.

As you ponder your relationship with God in Jesus Christ, I want to encourage you to listen to our Bishop’s address from council. You can find it at this link. He set the theme for council and for the coming year in the diocese to the 6th chapter of the book of Isaiah – “Here am I. Send Me.” Bishop Read exhorts us to love and leadership given the challenges facing the church, our nation, God’s beloved people, and our world.

You may be, like me, pondering your Lenten disciplines and deciding what to take on or give up this year, perhaps it would serve us well to take on prayer and the call to bigger and bolder prayers by Bishop Read.

“As we continue this journey; as we continue learning to be the Church in a new day; as we do ministry in challenging times; as we learn to get outside our walls and try new ministries; I invite you to say bigger prayers.

Phillips Brooks was a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and rector of Trinity Church in Boston. He also composed the words to the Christmas hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” before becoming Bishop of Massachusetts. Phillips Brooks is quoted as saying, “Pray bigger prayers.” “Don’t pray for crutches – pray for wings.” “There is not one prayer you or I can pray that Jesus doesn’t wish was bigger.”

Pray bigger prayers, for the Diocese of West Texas, pray bigger prayers for your congregation, and pray bigger prayers for yourself. Pray bigger prayers, and stand up to say, “Here am I. Send Me. Amen.”

Our life together begins and ends with prayer. Our relationship with God begins and ends with prayer. It only makes sense to pray the biggest and boldest prayers we have in us.

God’s Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Beth+