Realizing that Christians are called to ministry in the world, each Sunday in the Season of Epiphany, The Church of the Advocate commissions people to their life, work and vocation in the community and world around us.
We will be commissioning the following vocations on the following dates:
Epiphany I, January 13: All who are in a Period of Discernment or Expectancy
Epiphany II, January 20: All who are caregivers for others.
Epiphany III, January 27: The Advocate Annual Meeting. All who serve the public good.
Epiphany IV, February 3: All who are in transition or are retired.
Epiphany V, February 10: All those engaged in expressive and creative endeavors.
Epiphany VI, February 17: All who work in the pursuit of knowledge.
Epiphany VII, February 24: All who engage in farming, gardening and stewardship of creation.
Last Epiphany, March 3: The Transfiguration: All who are the People of the Advocate
Come join us!
Posted here are some sample commissions from throughout the years.
SAMPLE COMMISSIONS
All Who Work in the Pursuit of Knowledge
Celebrant: Now there are a variety of gifts but the same Spirit
People: There are a variety of services but the same Lord
Celebrant: We call forward all who work to increase our knowledge and understanding of God’s vast creation
Those to be commissioned come forward and present themselves to the celebrant and congregation
Celebrant: Lord, we present to you these teachers, students, scholars and administrators; researchers, inventors, scientists, and information specialists; historians, philosophers, theologians, and all who seek a deeper understanding of truth
Commissioned: Here I am, Lord
Celebrant: Do you celebrate your God given gifts?
Commissioned: We do
Celebrant: Do you seek the blessing of God and God’s Church?
Commissioned: We do
Celebrant: Do you promise, with the help of God, to use your gifts to serve God and neighbor?
Commissioned: We do
Celebrant: Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom: enlighten by your Holy Spirit those who teach and those who learn
Commissioned: We rejoice in the knowledge of your truth
Celebrant: Bless their pursuit of sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom
Commissioned: May we find in you the source of all truth
Celebrant: Give them times of refreshment and peace
Commissioned: That we may renew our minds, rebuild our bodies, and open our spirits to serve you from generation to generation
Celebrant: This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Commissioned: Amen
Celebrant: This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Commissioned: Amen
—————————–
For all those who care for the well being of others: for doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, therapists and all who study to do so
Call: Mighty and merciful God, who sent Jesus to heal broken lives, we praise you for raising up men and women who are skilled in the healing arts
Response: Strengthen their bodies that they may bend to care for young and old, and let them carry your gift of wholeness to all who suffer in body or mind
Call: Give them eyes to see and ears to hear
Response: Keep them ever open to a tear or cry of distress
Call: Lighten their hearts even when they are heavy or hurting
Response: Let them be touched as they offer your healing touch and presence. May they make the weak strong, the sick healthy, and the broken whole
Call: Bless them as agents of your love
Response: In your name we pray
All: Amen
+++
The Prequel: Saturday, April 6
Maundy Thursday, April 18
Saturday Night, April 20
This Lent, The Episcopal Church of the Advocate invites our neighbors and friends, known and unknown, to participate in the ancient practice of prayer and reflection called the Stations of the Cross, around the Advocate Pond. Traditionally, the fourteen stations mark different events on the path that Jesus walked through the city of Jerusalem on the day of his death, from the house of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, where he was condemned to die, to the hill at Golgatha, where he was crucified. At each station, participants pause for a reading from scripture, a prayer, and a time of meditation.
T.S. Eliot once wrote, “What we call the beginning is often the end and to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”
Lenten Series: Exploring “The Cross and the Lynching Tree,” by James H. Cone
House Dinner is a time of togetherness over a shared meal, concluding with an invitation to respond to an open-ended prompt, often about an idea or concept (e.g., “shelter,” “grace,” “Christmas spirit”).