Topic: Common Prayer Book

What are you anxious about? By virtue of living on this side of the veil of tears, the list is long. Sometimes our anxieties are big: the safety and security of our country; the rising tension in national politics; the kind of future our children and grandchildren will be born into; the state of the economy (“did you hear we hit another 40-year high for inflation?”); nuclear war; natural disaster; widespread disease. We are anxious about many things. This is why the story of Martha hosting Jesus at her home is memorable to us, because it is relatable. Being anxious is normal, but it is not helpful. Listen as the Rector explains how we can focus on that which is necessary by the power of prayer.

We only recite the Long Exhortation as a congregation a couple of times over the course of the year, typically only during the season of Lent. Long though it may be (as the name implies), this beautiful prayer is packed with theology and teaches us much about how we should approach worship.