Greetings,

What a tremendous way to start off the New Year for Timothy!  Are you ready?

On Sat. January 19, 2008, Timothy unofficially became two missionary fellowships, serving two geographic areas, both engaged in a process of discernment regarding church planting.    It met in the morning with 23 souls in Shelburne, VT and in the afternoon with 23 souls in Weathersfield, VT close to the NH border.  Dwight, Kathy and Elizabeth arranged to attend both, thus providing physical linkage.  The spiritual linkage was present as each gathering missed the other and rejoiced for the other.  We were blessed with remarkable, outstanding preachers/teachers/leaders.  +Bill Murdoch came up for a second meeting with Timothy lay leadership in early January and declared us ready to divide and multiply.  The change is frightening and exciting all at the same time.

I can only report on the gathering at the Hogan’s in Shelburne.  The centerpiece was the homily by Alex+ which was riveting.  Tired as he was from business travel and short sleep, he got his message across with great clarity, gusto and humor.  I'll try to reprise it.  But first read Psalm 29 please.    It couldn't be a better message for people communally seeking to hear the voice of the Lord.  

 What  does the Lord do with his voice?

.   He creates.  The voice and the making are the same thing.  And not just the creation of the world.  He also calls each of us into being with his voice.  When we hear voices that destroy and tear down, they are not God. 

.  He blesses and affirms the Good and accepts with his voice.  Genesis: And he saw that it was good.  He blesses human creation in a distinctive way:  be fruitful, go forth and multiply.  He affirms Jesus at his baptism.  God affirms Jesus with his voice before Jesus has even done anything.  He says he is well pleased with his son.  This is very important.  Contrast with our culture where we think we have to do, to accomplish something to be affirmed.

.  He proclaims Justice, Consolation and Truth with his voice.  Also the mercy of judgement.  Judgement and condemnation are two different things.  Note that apocalyptic literature is always written to a community struggling. 

What is his voice like?

.  It is authoritative.  See John 11 for example: "Lazarus, come out."  And he comes out of the tomb after being dead for four days.  Even the dead respond to the authority of the voice of God.  Example from Luke:  this is my son whom I have chosen.  Listen to him.  In the scriptures, to listen is to obey.  (The joy of obedience seeming to be lost in our culture.)

.  It is awful.  Awe-full. It's hard to describe; it's like when you were afraid and in love at the same time.  When we are normally afraid, we run.  Awe of God is not a fear that makes us run, but prostrates us.  We are overcome.  His voice invites us to worship.

.  It is recognizable to his people.  Jesus said my sheep know my voice and respond to it.  In some places and times people have sucked the glory out of Christianity, reduced it to a book of rules, sort of like the Pharisees did.  We need to lay our hearts before him if we are to recognize his voice.

.  In spite of its authority and power, his voice is hard to hear.  Example of Samuel.  It's easy to confuse his voice, it's easy to miss.  Back to scripture and to today:  after success in  hearing and recognizing the voice of the Lord we are at our most whiney!  It is easy to dismiss the voice of God because he will not shout at you.  He might even whisper.

How do we hear the voice of the Lord?

.  This is difficult.  First, we need to silence the other voices we hear.  Passing reference to the voice of the devil.  The devil's voice is always the opposite of God's voice.  It is always seeking to destroy, tear down, fill our heads with lies.  The principal voices we need to silence are the voices of the flesh and of the world.  Flesh in this context means the fallen nature of humanity.  Flesh as that which clothes our bones, is like matter.  As C.S. Lewis said, "Matter was his idea.  God likes it."  Our appetites of the flesh, at the core are good, but run amok they are not.  The lying voice we hear is within ourselves.  We hear the voice of our guilt and shame.  But listen:  the cross of Jesus is sufficient for carrying our sins.  We don't need to carry our guilt and shame around for fifty years.  Also, we hear the voice of our anger and indignation.  That, too, will cloud our hearing of the voice of God.  Have you ever noticed that the world never shuts up?  We are surrounded by noise.  We are not ones to cultivate silence in our lives.  If we're to hear the voice of the Lord we need to cultivate silence.

Alex gave Timothy a challenge:  insert FIVE MINUTES of interior and external silence into your day every day until we meet again.  If your head swims with Things To Do, have a paper beside you to write these down and get them out of your head.  The next voice you hear will be the voice of your guilt and shame and indignation.  Give these over to Jesus.  And then?  He'll speak to you.

After time for fellowship, we re-grouped to hear Alex address the liturgy question --  what liturgy, which rite -- and made it clear that he is not here with us to engage in a liturgy war.  There are beauties and benefits in the various liturgies and following Bishop Bill's advice we will use a mix from 1928 BCP, and 1979 and the Kenyan Anglican liturgy, pending a presumed ultimate decision by Common Cause Partners on a common prayer book.  Timothy (north) signified its consensus in the matter.  He also wanted to make it clear once again that he feels truly called to lead us through discernment but is not making a commitment beyond that at this time.  Again the group signaled that we heard him and understood. Before leaving with his precious wife Tamara, Alex gave us an entertainingly candid thumbnail sketch of who he is and how he got that way.

A final footnote:  together Tamara and Alex will be teaching the Isaiah 40 Foundation course called " In His Image: Men and Women of God" on February 8-9 at North Avenue Missionary Alliance Church, Burlington.  They will make a dynamic teaching duo.  Some Timothy members are planning to attend.  A one-page flyer describing the course is available.  I have copies.

Schedule of Timothy events coming up:

Saturday February   2 Timothy meeting in Weathersfield, VT.  Time and details later.

Saturday February 23 All of Timothy is invited to the ACN- New England Annual Chapter Meeting with Bishop Bill Murdoch at All Saints' Church, Amesbury, MA 10-4:00.  In the afternoon the "new cathedral" will be the joyful scene of the first Ordinations and Confirmations since +Bill became bishop.  Our missionary fellowships each chose one clergy and one lay voting member.  They are:  Alex and Bill,  Marnie and Diane.  Everyone who comes may have a voice, however.

Friday night February 29/Sat. March 1 afternoon

All of Timothy is invited to a regular meeting and Discernment Retreat led by Alex Cameron to be held at Joseph House in Manchester, NH.   Here's a list of those planning to attend so far:  Alex, Ross, Dwight and Toni, Diane and Terry, Jan and Bob, Ann and Bill, Flora, Elaine, Kay, Elizabeth, Arabella, Aare, and Emilie.   I hope I will hear from more of you as you think about this fine opportunity for learning, worship and fellowship.

Saturday  March 22Timothy meeting in Burlington area.

Saturday  April 19 All of Timothy and friends are invited to come to "Anglican Essentials Part II" with Michael                

                                                    McKinnon+.  Location in Quechee area.

Saturday April 26Timothy meeting in Burlington area.

Other items of interest:

Timothy received a personal letter from Fr. Jerry Kramer of Free Church of the Annunciation.  It begins, "Dearest fellow Anglicans in Vermont,  Thank you very much for your most recent and generous gift of warm clothing and blankets.  We're grateful to you and our friends far and wide whose faithful love and support are making our mercy and recovery ministries possible here in the heart of New Orleans."

Peter Pierson+ just announced that he is leading a trip to Israel again in the spring of 2009.  The dates are:  March 21 (fly to Tel Aviv) to April 3 (arrive in the States).  The description sounds positively wonderful.  Great variety of places and experiences.  Only 20 reservations open.  The link can be found on the www.vermontanglicans.org website. 

Brainstorming has produced some new location ideas to explore:  the Newman Center at UVM, Half Moon Cafe in Burlington, the Blue Water Center just off the Shelburne Road, and the Comfort Suites space on the Shelburne Road.  We'll look at these in the next week or two and I thank Barbara R for her valuable legwork.  Already explored are:

the Greek Orthodox church in So. Burlington, the Presbyterian chapel at UVM, Church of Christ on Dorset Street.  Any more ideas??

Timothy will research what it takes to become a 501 C(3) on its own and relieve ACN headquarters of the responsibility for handling our account.

That's all for now.  Let's get on with our mission!

Faithfully,

Ann