Faith Blog

Annual prayer breakfast set for Thursday

April 30, 2012 Leave a Comment

For the 28th year, Cobb County will bring together people of different faiths for the National Day of Prayer.

A prayer breakfast will begin at 6:30 a.m. Thursday with a coffee social, followed by the breakfast program between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Tickets are $25 per person. The event will be hosted by the Cobb County Prayer Breakfast Committee Inc.

The program will feature prayers, scripture readings and musical selections. Condace Pressley, assistant program director at WSB Radio, will serve as the master of ceremonies for the event.

About 1,000 people are expected to attend the prayer breakfast.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Smyrna native Stephen Kendrick, a film writer and producer of the Christian-based films “Courageous,” “Fireproof” and “Facing the Giants.” He is also the co-author of the bestselling books “The Love Dare” and “The Resolution for Men.”

A former Roswell Street Baptist Church youth minister, Kendrick is scheduled to speak about the power of prayer. The Kennesaw State University and Cumberland Christian Academy graduate is the senior associate pastor of preaching and prayer at Sherwood Church in Albany.

“We heard a lot about him and how well he’s been doing down there,” said Virgil Moon, Cobb’s director of support services.

Moon has served as member of the Cobb Prayer Breakfast Committee since its inception in the 1980s. The committee of about 20 members is made up of community and business leaders who organize the prayer breakfast each year.

“It brings the whole community together every year for the purpose of prayer and meditation, and just recognizing what a great community we have,” he said.

Past keynote speakers have included former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, late actor Charlton Heston, U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young, Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy and former Gov. Roy Barnes.

In 1985, Gov. Joe Frank Harris served as the first keynote speaker of the event, organized by a group of local leaders and sponsored by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. Their mission was to plan an annual, non-denominational prayer breakfast open to all residents. Since then, the event has moved from the Cobb Civic Center and Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel to its present venue in the Cobb Galleria Centre.

Other Cobb Prayer Breakfast Committee members are Nancy Bodiford, Tonya Boga, Debbie Butler, Holly Comer, Bill Cooper, David Darden, Janet Haldeman, Clark Hungerford, Don Johnson, Mary Karras, Larry Terry, David McGinnis, Bob Morgan, Roxane Rush, George Spears, Krisi Elsberry Storey, Jud Thompson, Nathan Wade, Renee White and Sue Hancock Wyatt.

For more event information, contact (770) 422-5696 or ccprayerbreakfast@gmail.com.

(Reprinted from the MDJ, April 28, 2012. Written by Marcus E. Howard)

Filed Under: Faith Blog, [Featured], [PostToSocial] Tagged With: Cobb Prayer Breakfast, National Day of Prayer

3rd Annual Catholic Earth Day at St. Ignatius House

April 20, 2012 Leave a Comment

Ignatius House Retreat Center is hosting Catholic Earth Day. Sunday April 22. Free event open to the public and people of all faiths. Activities begin at 2pm and will end after Mass and a meal. The public is welcome for a few hours or the whole day.

Hear from local farmers and nonprofits serving Atlanta’s food deserts
Learn how stewardship of the land is a requirement of living a spiritual life
Celebrate Mass in God’s garden
Share in a locally grown garden to table meal
Meet other people of faith that are concerned about our environment and are working together to create a more sustainable planet

The Ignatius House Retreat Center, 6700 Riverside Dr., Atlanta, 30328 RSVP: www.ignatiushouse.org To learn more about Catholic Earth Day and resources for “caring for creation visithttp://www.facebook.com/CatholicsCaringforCreation.

SCHEDULE AND ACTIVITIES

2:00 – Welcome and Opening Prayer by Maria Cressler, Executive Director of Ignatius House Retreat Center

2:30 - Introduction of this year’s theme by Amy Edwards, Catholic Earth Day Coordinator

2:50 – “Fruits of the Land that Nourish Us” with Laurie & Will Moore – founders of the Moore Farms & Friends Marketing Association of small-scale, local and regional food producers who offer food that is Certified USDA Organic, Certified Naturally Grown, or Sustainably grown

3:25 – “Sharing One Garden of Life to Nourish Us All” with Veronica Watson, Executive Director of ECOPAAT, dedicated to providing every inner city neighborhood with access to fresh vegetables by creating small gardens managed by residents in their community

4:00 – “Creating Policies that Reflect God’s Call to Faithful Stewardship of Creation” with K. Rashid Nuri, Executive Director of the Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture which works to engage the community in developing local food systems through education and food production

4:25 – Panel Q&A, discussion with all speakers. Facilitator: Janet Claussen, Religious Director for Marist Catholic School

5:00 – Outdoor Mass

6:15 – Earth Celebration to include a meal from locally-sourced produce along with some sharing about upcoming activities focused on care for creation at home, in your community, at your parish and when you shop

Filed Under: Faith Blog, [Featured], [PostToSocial] Tagged With: St. Ignatius House

A Devotional for Today

April 20, 2012 Leave a Comment

John 20:11-18

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ‘ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Reflection by Angel Geurin-Bailey

The irony is not lost on me that I am writing a devotion ABOUT devotion. What an amazing and devoted woman Mary Magdalene must have been; witnessing the execution of Jesus, her teacher, her savior, her Lord and having the strength to return to the tomb. She arrives and by some accounts (Matthew) she is greeted by an earthquake and then by two angels. Can you imagine how confused must she have been by all of the chaos around her? And then Jesus appeared to her. Of all the apostles, disciples, and others he could have made his first appearance to, he chose Mary. AND even gave her the most important job of telling the others. Mary’s devotion to Jesus paid off. Her willingness to remain by Jesus’ side was rewarded by being the first to see him and to be able to share the good news of his resurrection. Do you ever wonder how great our rewards will be if we just remain devoted and steadfast to the work being done in our lives?

Prayer

Dear God,
Thank you for all that you provide. Please give us the faithfulness of Mary and help remind us through the chaos, the rewards can be great!
Amen

(Written by Angel Geurin-Bailey, Pilgrimage UCC, Marietta)

Filed Under: Faith Blog, [Featured], [PostToSocial] Tagged With: Devotional, Pilgrimage United Church of Christ