Dear Christ Church,
We pray you are experiencing a grace-filled Lent. As a Vestry, we are delighted that Fr. Cliff and his family have started sabbatical. We anticipate a time of refreshment for the Warners, and a time of growth and continued faithfulness for Christ Church. We’d like to offer some ways our parish can bless and pray for the Warners and for our parish during this time.
In order for the Warners to have a flourishing sabbatical, we encourage them to enter “the work of rest” by taking a break from the normal communications of email, calling, and texting. To protect their time of solitude and silence, they will be “offline” while they are away. If you would like to communicate with Cliff and Christine during this time, letters are welcome! Please mail them to the church, and the staff will make sure they are received.
In his sermon last Sunday, Fr. Matt encouraged us to make the Lord’s Prayer the ‘backbone of all prayer.’ We invite you to take time each week to pray, using the Lord’s Prayer as a guide. For this, we offer suggested prayers below.
As a reminder, there is a FAQ page on our website with additional details about sabbatical, including the prayers below.
We are grateful for you, Christ Church! May we spur one another on to know Jesus more nearly, and may He receive the honor due His Name.
Your Partners in Christ,
John Nehme, Senior Warden
Paul Adeleke
Nate Bruce
Leslie Cameron
Kevin Lloyd
Kim Polk
Sara Schultz
The Lord’s Prayer for Christ Church and the Warners
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
• Warners – May they rest in you as their Father and King.
• Christ Church – May we know and honor your holiness, power, glory, and love.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
• Warners – May they come to a deeper awareness and acceptance of how you are calling them to serve in your kingdom.
• Christ Church – May we have a stronger desire to see your life, power, values, and desires made manifest here and now in Austin and the world.
Give us this day our daily bread.
• Warners – May they know that every good thing in their life is a gift from you, and may they find nourishment and rest mentally, physically, relationally, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Christ Church – May we give you humble thanks for the ways you have gone above and beyond to provide for our church’s needs, and may we never forget those who are hungry, impoverished, unemployed, and needy.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
• Warners – May they know the depths and power of your forgiving love demonstrated on the cross.
• Christ Church – May we be a community that welcomes those on the edges of our community, and may your Holy Spirit cultivate in us more of your mercy, compassion, patience, kindness, gentleness, and generosity.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
• Warners – May they be protected from doubt in their hearts, division in their marriage, and distance in their family life; keep them close to you and to one another.
• Christ Church – May we resist the lure to make something of ourselves, and help us to simply remain faithful to you and manifest the upside-down, self-emptying love of your kingdom.