Rector's Page

The Rev. Bollin M. Millner, Jr.


 

Dear Fellow Servants,

 

We had two very informative discussion sessions recently around the question of “Where is God calling us as a church?”   Many great ideas for mission and ministry were put forward and you will be hearing more about all of this soon.

 

One of the things discussed at the meetings was variety in worship.  Not everyone knows what we currently offer so I am glad to take this opportunity to say more.   In fact, we are blessed with great variety at GHTC and I invite you to experience it all.  Here are some “thumbnail” sketches of the variety of opportunities for worship each Sunday.

 

7:45 a.m.  This service is held in our gorgeous chapel and is Holy Eucharist: Rite I.  The language of this liturgy harkens back to the very first Prayer Books in English and is expressive and beautiful.   One of my favorite passages is in the Eucharistic Prayer and it reads:  “And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee…”  These are powerful words indeed.

 

8:45 a.m.    This service is Holy Eucharist: Rite II and is designed to be especially inclusive of children.  In deference to shorter attention spans, it lasts 45 minutes and it includes a children’s sermon.  The children gather in the chapel during the sermon for a special time with the Rev. Michael Cadaret while the adults enjoy a sermon tailored to their needs.  The music at this service is a blend of traditional and contemporary.  One of my favorite parts of this service is the intergenerational music team.  Right now we have teenagers playing violin and cello, in addition to guitars played by adults.  I also like the fact that the altar is down on the floor of the nave so that the celebration of communion feels more like a family gathered around the table together.

 

11:00 a.m.  This service is usually Holy Eucharist: Rite II but one Sunday a month, usually on the second Sunday, we offer Daily Morning Prayer.  This service is beautiful in its formality and one of my favorite parts of it is the music offered by our Adult Choir.  We have one of the best choirs anywhere and they sing a great variety of music.  For instance, who can forget their offering of “When the Saints Go Marching In” from last All Saints Day.   And coming up on April 29, in the context of the Eucharist, they will offer the Hummel Mass.

 

5:00 p.m.  This service takes place in the chapel and is Holy Eucharist: Rite II .  We enjoy participation and leadership by Virginia Commonwealth University students and the worship is lively and informal.  The music is a blend of hymns and contemporary songs.  The Peace –where everyone pours out of the pews and greets every other person - is a highlight.  The service is followed by dinner – a home cooked meal by volunteers.

 

  In addition to Sunday morning and thanks to our collaboration with St. Mark’s there is a wonderful service at 6:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month.  This contemplative service uses candlelight and includes anointing with oil and prayers for healing.  This service is at St. Mark’s which is located right beside the Virginia Historical Society at 520 North Boulevard.

 

So you can see, we have a great variety of worship opportunities.  Each one has a special focus and I encourage you to try them all.   There is probably one service that will speak most deeply to you.  At the same time, as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life.

 

In Christ,

 

 

                                                    

 

 

 

 

PS.  Here is a picture of my cat.  She doesn't travel well, so she did not come to the pet blessing.  She did consent to sit for this photo.  Her name is "Tica."

 

               

                       

 

 

Sermons

 

The following sermons are in

PDF format, make sure you have Adobe Reader so you can view all of these online documents.

 

Sermon Easter III - April 22, 2012 - "Pie in the Sky?  Maybe Not!"

 

Sermon  Epiphany I: The Baptism of our Lord - January 8, 2012 - "Hell? No!"

 

Sermon All Saints' Sunday - November 5, 2011 - "The Book of Revelation Revealed"

 

Sermon Pentecost XV - September 25, 2011 - "Put the Answer to Work While You are Working on the Answer"

 

Sermon Feast of Pentecost - June 12, 2011 - "Tom Joad and the Holy Spirit"

 

Sermon Easter II - May 1, 2011 - "Doubting Thomas"

 

Sermon Lent I - March 13, 2011 - "Temptation"

 

Sermon Epiphany I - January 9, 2011 "In Christ There Is No Democrat or Republican"

 

Sermon Pentecost XXIII - October 31, 2010 "The Righteous Live by their Faith"

 

Sermon Pentecost XVIII - September 26, 2010  "Scripture: Read, Mark, Learn and Inwardly Digest"

 

Sermon Pentecost XIV - August 29, 2010  "Status Report"

 

Sermon Pentecost XIII - August 22, 2010  "Rattlesnakes!"

 

Sermon Pentecost XXI - 2006:  "Are You Saved?"

 

 

 

 

The Six Marks of Discipleship


Lutheran pastor, Michael W. Foss, in his book Power Surge: Six Marks of Discipleship for a Changing Church tells us that Jesus calls all believers to become strong disciples. To live into this challenge Foss lists six disciplines:


  1. Daily Prayer (with intercession for others, for the world, for ourselves and with thanksgivings for all God’s blessings and for all things which draw us nearer to the love of God)
  2. Weekly Worship (in community with other members of the Church)
  3. Bible Reading (disciplined reading and study)
  4. Service (as the prophet Micah said, “What does the Lord require of us but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God?”)
  5. Spiritual Friendships (people with whom we can share our faith and who can hold us accountable)
  6. Giving (principled giving of ourselves and our resources)

At Grace and Holy Trinity Church, we are encouraged to embrace the “Six Marks” as a part of our journey in faith!

 

 

Sharing the Faith (aka Evangelism)


Never forget... you are the only gospel that many people see. So, as you are out and about, seeking to share the faith with those you meet and to invite poeple to be a part of our church, you might find the following link helpful: http://www.ecusa.anglican/org/visitors_16976_ENG_HYM_htm?menupage=49678. It is from the newly designed website of the general (national) Episcopal Church.

 


Recommended Links


Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright explains what is wrong with “Left Behind” theology and with the concept of “rapture”:

http://www.ntwrightpage.com/wright_BR_Farewell_Rapture.htm#/edn2


Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright critiques the Da Vinci Code:

http://www.spu.edu/depts/uc/response/summer2k5/features/davincicode.asp

 


Millennium Development Goals


In the summer of 2006 the General Convention of the Episcopal Church endorsed The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They are drawn from the action and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 190 nations ((including the USA) and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000. The eight Millennium Development Goals - which range from reducing extreme poverty by half to providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 20105 p form a practical. realistic plan agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.


Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development


You can learn more about the United Nations at this address: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/.