“Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty
Heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing
greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the
harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 150
Without a doubt music is a vitally important aspect of the Kingdom of God; both in the heavenly realm and in the earthly realm. Little wonder that the enemy seeks to pervert this glorious gift of God and use it for his own plans and purposes, especially in the secular realm. The appropriate response to such demonic tactics, however, is not to abandon music but to redeem it: restoring it to its rightful place and its original purpose, bringing glory to God and blessing to his people.
It is interesting to note that there are those who do embrace the use of music in church, but reject the use of musical instruments in worship. Or more commonly, reject the use of musical instruments other than the organ or piano, as if these two instruments, and only these two instruments, are suitable for leading worship in the house of the Lord.
Yet scripture encourages us to make use of a wide variety of musical instruments, including percussion, brass, woodwinds and strings; a veritable orchestra of instruments. Would that we had more of them at the Church of the Resurrection! As also would that we had more vocalists and dancers as well!! Yea, what better place to embrace and exercise the musical gifts God has given to us than in His holy house of prayer; offering Him a sacrifice of time and talent to His glory and the edification of His people.
As regards to the worship ministry at the Cathedral we have much for which to be grateful. Not only are we blessed with faithful musicians, vocalists, and dancers, God has favored us with a resident composer whose music adds to the richness of our praise and worship. Indeed this is the case with other cathedral congregations within our communion as well.
God has raised up and anointed resident cathedral composers who produce music that expresses and embodies the vision He has given to us in the Charismatic Episcopal Church. Music that while somewhat particular to the congregation itself also transcends that congregation, influencing and impacting other congregations as well, especially those congregations within the same diocese as the cathedral.
Thus do we have the pleasure and privilege not only of singing music birthed out of other places in the Kingdom, we have the pleasure and privilege of singing music birthed out of our own life in the Kingdom. It is a sign of God’s favor upon us.
Spiritual retreats are an opportunity to take time out from the hectic routine and grow in relationship with God and others. Earlier this year, the Diocese of Florida introduced Tres Arroyos, a three-day weekend retreat similar to the Roman Catholic Cursillo and the Methodist Walk to Emmaus programs. The name of Tres Arroyos is taken from the Spanish words for “Three Streams.”
The concept of three streams refers to the Charismatic Episcopal Church mission statement of combining the Evangelical, Liturgical and Charismatic streams of the Christian faith. Tres Arroyos holds separate retreats for men and women, both of which take place at Chapel of Divine Mercy in DeLand, FL.
Veronica Campbell, along with two other Resurrection women, attended the most recent retreat this past October. “With our group and the women from other churches, there were about 40 of us at the retreat. There was a retreat house connected to the chapel, and we all camped there dormitory-style,” she recalls. “The entire time was jam-packed with teaching activities. We had workshops about the move of the Holy Spirit and how it impacts your life.” Other activities involved the women breaking out into teams and competing to draw posters best illustrating the concepts taught by retreat speakers.
Veronica enthusiastically recommends Tres Arroyos, and is interested in volunteering on the next trip. “Tres Arroyos is an experience not to be missed. My favorite part was the chapel worship experience, and the food was great, too! My hope is that next year we have a larger group from Resurrection than before.”
The next Tres Arroyos retreat takes place in March, for both men and women. Those interested in attending for the first time must first confer with Bishop Simpson and receive his sponsorship recommendation.
Veronica Campbell has attended Church of the Resurrection going back to the original Biscayne Park congregation. She volunteers as a lay reader and coordinates the Angel Tree Christmas program. She resides in Hollywood with her children Nicole and Jason, and enjoys reading and listening to Christian music in her spare time.
Resurrection women, mark your calendars! The Florida Diocese of the Charismatic Episcopal Church is holding their first ever Diocesan Women’s Retreat. The retreat takes place Thursday, May 5th to Saturday, May 7th, 2011 at Camp Wingmann in Avon Park, Florida.
Camp Wingmann is located on 42 picturesque acres, wrapping around serene Trout Lake. Retreat attendees have a variety of lodging choices. Those wishing to stay on camp grounds have the option of Louttit Lodge, which has three dorm wings that sleep 68 people, each room holding four to six people on bunk beds. Or they may choose a camp cabin, which is one large room with ten bunk beds.
The camp has full heating, air conditioning, home-cooked meals which cater to dietary needs, and a chapel which accommodates
150 people. There is also hotel lodging at the Residence Inn Sebring Suites and the Holiday Inn Express with special
discounted rates.
This retreat promises to be a time for women to enjoy fellowship, fun, rest, and spending time with the Lord individually and corporately. There will be opportunities to attend workshops, study God’s Word, experience church sacraments, worship and much more.
The retreat registration fee is $10.00. Lodging at Camp Wingmann is $125.00, the Holiday Inn Express (two double beds) is $89.00, and the Residence Inn Sebring Suites (one king, one queen and one sofa bed) is $141.00. Registration for meals only is $60.00. These prices are only good until December 31st, so make your reservations early
Here is what has been happening in the Diocese of Florida.
We recently completed our second Tres Arroyos weekends at the Chapel of Divine Mercy. This renewal weekend has proven to be a powerful, life-transforming experience for both candidates and staff.
We held our annual Diocesan Clericus at the Cathedral on Saturday, November 13th. Clergy from around the Diocese gathered for fellowship, worship, and teaching. In addition to several items of business, we heard a pro-life presentation by Tewannah Aman and Sandy Lettera.
Important events scheduled for 2011:
March 10-13 Men’s Tres Arroyos #3
March 17-20 Women’s Tres Arroyos #3
April 7-9 Clergy Lenten Retreat
May 5-7 Diocesan Women’s Retreat
October 27-30 Men’s Tres Arroyos #4
November 3-6 Women’s Tres Arroyos #4
November 12 Diocesan Clericus
Spiritual retreats are an opportunity to take time out from the hectic routine and grow in relationship with God and others. Earlier this year, the Diocese of Florida introduced Tres Arroyos, a three-day weekend retreat similar to the Roman Catholic Cursillo and the Methodist Walk to Emmaus programs. The name of Tres Arroyos is taken from the Spanish words for “Three Streams.”
