Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

This collect, read in congregations in our diocese on the Sunday following our 153rd Diocesan Convention, echoes the charge made by Bishop Provenzano in his address to the assembled delegates and guests. The Bishop challenged us to "measure our actions and motivation for ministry as a direct response to a life of prayer, worship, and study."  In addition to nurturing one's personal rule of Christian life, consider the many programs offered from the Diocesan Center. During the Advent season both daytime and evening programs are presented at the Mercer School.

Programs of the Cathedral of the Incarnation held at Mercer include the Sunday morning Dean's Forum, a "conversation on the themes of hope, faith, joy, and peace, as represented by the four candles of our Advent wreath" and an evening series "The Universal Christ" December 4, 11, and 18 at 7:30 p.m. (check out https://www.incarnationgc.org/grow/spiritual-formation/ for further details. Also on those three Wednesdays, an Advent "Lunch and Learn" Program will consider the three-year cycle of Bible readings that encompass the liturgy of the Word on Sunday mornings in most Episcopal Churches.

Find out more about this under Featured Events below:

And keep watching this page for updates, as spring courses from our School for Ministry will be open for registration December 15.

In addition to courses from our first-year program there will be new offerings in New Testament, Prayer Book, and Theology.