St. Aidan's Anglican Church, Kansas City - weekly talks

Icon: Ivanka Demchuk

Introduction to Spiritual Formation of the Family Seminar

Opening poem: Charles Sperry

Talk: Lindsay Powers

The call and example of Jesus to likewise become a servant is a way to dismantle abusive power structures. He did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.

At St. Aidan's, we call newcomers to membership to commit their lives to one another in loving service. Serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with singing! We long to be joyful servants of the King.

We strive to build a church family that lives as the interrelated, interdependent Body of Christ of I Corinthians 12. We view membership as local and universal with intentionality and mutually agreed-upon biblical aims for the people of God in a local church family.

The Transfiguration of Christ reveals the original glorious light humanity wore as a garment. This loss of glory revealed to our ancestral parents a sense of nakedness, fear, and shame. The entrance of sin into the cosmos stripped humanity of this glory shared in communion with God. Christ, the Second Adam, the ultimate human, fully human and fully divine, shows forth the outcome of our salvation in Christ. The feast of the Transfiguration shows us what it means to be fully human, restored in Christ.

Christ calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light. In baptism we put on Christ, the restored robe of glory. He calls us to walk in the light, restoring communion with God and creation. As we live in this light, we have communion with one another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

The Calling of Saint Matthew is a painting by Caravaggio, depicting the moment at which Jesus Christ inspires Matthew to follow him. It was completed in 1599–1600 for the Contarelli Chapel in the church of the French congregation, San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where it remains. It hangs alongside two other paintings of Matthew by Caravaggio, The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (painted around the same time as the Calling) and The Inspiration of Saint Matthew (1602).

Icon by Ivanka Demchuk

The Wedding at Cana of Galilee, John 2:1-11, is a picture of humanity, empty and without the wine of divine life. Israel had run out of wine, and it would require the Paschal Mystery to restore the divine life. The wedding at Cana is a picture of how our transformation occurs. Jesus brings the wine, restored communion, to our lives. He fills our empty vessels with the abundance of his Kingdom - righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

He’s saying if our relationship with God has run out of wine, do what he tells you, and out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.

If our marriages are running low on this joyous wine, do whatever he tells you, and out of our innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. The presence of Jesus in our households brings transformation.

“I will restore the years that the locust have eaten.” Joel 2:25

We see how Jesus transformed water into wine. Today we believe he will transform wine into his blood.

Likewise, he can transform our households, our marriages, our relationship with him and others by the koinonia of the Holy Spirit.

Invite the Holy Spirit into your lives. It’s the presence of Jesus that transforms our households. The Spirit and the Bride say, Come.

Holy Matrimony, a truly Christian marriage, and life-long celibacy point to the union of Christ and His Church, His Bride. Both are outward signs of an inward grace; both signify Union in Christ, yet marriage signifies earthly union awaiting the consummation of all things, whereas life-long celibacy points to the eschatological union, the full consummation of Christ and His Church, though presently signifying the eschaton where God will be "all in all."

Andrew and Annette Comiskey are the founders of Desert Stream Ministries (desertstream.org/). Desert Stream is based on Jesus' mercy and the dignity of men and women made in God's image. They equip Christians to gather in pursuit of radical wholeness.

Andrew and Annette Comiskey are the founders of Desert Stream Ministries (desertstream.org/). Desert Stream is based on Jesus' mercy and the dignity of men and women made in God's image. They equip Christians to gather in pursuit of radical wholeness.

Following today's talk includes portions of the ministry prayer time. The entire congregation responded and came forward to receive prayer. Next week, they will continue part 2 of their message to our congregation.

Icon: Ivanka Demchuk