Anglicans at the March for Life
Dear Friends at CCA,
Let me begin by thanking you for the warm welcome Cindy and I received after our first Sunday at CCA. It was wonderful to meet so many of you and begin to participate in the life of the congregation. I’m looking forward to my next opportunity to be with you in worship and that will this Sunday, February 2, as we celebrate the Presentation of our Lord in the temple.
I have just returned from a great trip to our nation’s capital where I was one of the adult leaders for the youth of the Anglican Diocese of the Southwest while we participated in YSummit, which was the youth component of the Walk for Life. We had ten young people attend. I’d like to share some of the highlights from the trip.
At YSummit the evening before the walk, we were able to hear some very good speakers that gave us a lot of information about the origins of abortion in America and how we can help women who have had abortions find healing. The first night ended with a powerful time of blessing and prayer. Bishop Bill Murdoch anointed and prayed for all the youth leaders. The leaders then prayed for all the youth that they brought to the event. We began the day with a worship service at Falls Church Anglican. A dozen ACNA bishops were present as was our Archbishop.
When we arrived at the start of the march, we heard the voice of the President talking about the tremendous potential that every human being has and that we need to allow every human being to live and grow into their God-given potential. We couldn’t see the President as there were too many people to get close. The Lord gave us good weather for the march. Anglicans for life provided us with bright green hats and it was a blessing to look out over the crowd and see a sea of bright green. The ACNA had a strong presence at the event this year. Toward the end of the march, we walked between a group of protesters. The police made sure everyone was safe. I thank God for their work. I did not feel angry at the people yelling at us, and instead, I was moved to pray for them. I thank God that most of their anger was focused on me and my “purple dress” and not on the great group of kids that marched with me. I am so thankful for Georgette Forney and the work of Anglicans for Life.
The next day we visited the Museum of the Bible. It is a wonderful facility and a blessing to walk through the section devoted to early Anglican translations of the Bible. I highly recommend a visit. We also went to the Lincoln Memorial and then walked over to the Martin Luther King Memorial. I have found the MLK memorial to be exceptionally moving. It includes many quotes that still speak to America today.
It is my hope that all Anglicans and Americans will be moved to pray that the scourge of abortion may end in this land. I pray that we will recognize the dignity of every human being since we have all been created in the image of God. May the lives of all the young people who attended March for Life be changed for the better. May we all find ways to stand up for life. May we pray for women who find themselves in lonely and hopeless situations. We pray for women who have had abortions that they will find healing and forgiveness and that the church might be a place where it is offered.
+Bishop Mark