Author: MontyBrownArt Art@MontyBrown.com

In June 2018, Rev’d Monty Brown’s wife died a few days before his retirement began. He honored her powerfully lived life by establishing the Jane Ellen Brown Memorial PRAYERSPITALITY Trust Fund with the United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia, Inc., which was funded by scores of Jane’s admirers.

This summer, the First Annual PRAYERSPITALITY Composition Competition was held, in which adults and youth were invited to submit compositions which mused upon the MARRIAGE OF PRAYER AND HOSPITALITY. These were two cardinal virtues in Jane’s life. A panel of literary and artistic judges from five states and Northern Ireland reviewed the compositions, and the results have just been announced.

In the Adult division, the winners were Kylie Joins of South Charleston, WV ($500), Melissa Paugh ($250) of Kitzmiller, MD, and Lauren Weaver ($100) Mt. Clare, WV.

In the Junior (18 and under) division, the winners were Bryce Woods (age 8 $500), Madison Ulaki (age 18 $250) and Morgan Brown (age 15 $100.)

The winning compositions in each division are posted here:

Adult Division

2019 1st prize ADULT Winner Kylie Joins

2019 2nd prize ADULT Winner Melissa Paugh

2019 3rd prize ADULT Winner Lauren Weaver

Junior Division

2019 1st prize JUNIOR Winner Bryce Woods

2019 2nd Prize JUNIOR Madison Ulaki

2019 3rd Prize JUNIOR division Morgan Brown

          This is just the first event in the work of the Jane Ellen Brown Memorial PRAYERSPITALITY Trust Fund which seeks to invite people to live into these two critically important virtues of the religions of Abraham: PRAYER and HOSPITALITY, and the delights of their marriage in enlightened living. More events will follow.

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If you would like to contribute to the ongoing work of the Prayerspitality Trust Fund ($1,700 was awarded in this event) through the United Methodist Foundation of WV, Inc., simply click here (You will go to the UM Foundation Donations page.)

Go down part way on the donation page to a selection marked “Other.” Type in whatever amount you choose, and type in the name of the fund as “Prayerspitality.” Then follow the rest of the simple instructions.

THANK YOU

Click Here to See All About It.

Cash Prizes range from $100 to $500 for winners.

Adult and Youth Divisions.

To give your online donation to the Jane Brown Prayerspitality Trust Fund, through the United Methodist Foundation of WV, Inc., simply click here (You will go to the UM Foundation Donations page.)

Go down part way on the donation page to a selection marked “Other.” Type in whatever amount you choose, and type in the name of the fund as “Prayerspitality.”  Then follow the rest of the simple instructions. 

THANK YOU

To contact the Prayerspitality Office, click here

And please.    Please.    Be Gentle.

PRAYERSPITALITY Devotion ©2019 0207

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. Mark 6:7-13 (ESV)

Hospitality is the word of advice, direction given by Jesus.
Advice and direction come to us, also, through Prayer with the Master. Prayer is being hospitable to God’s offer to come and enter.
These disciples, and we, are to receive hospitality; not to be self-reliant.
When hospitality is not given, when a hospitable spirit is not found, to the point of where they will not even listen, don’t take it personally, said the Master. “Shake it off,” he tells us.
The time is not right, their spirit is not receptive right now, there are other circumstances not correct at this time … whatever the reason, don’t accept their withholding of God’s definition of human relationship (“hospitality”) as being your issue. It’s theirs. Move on. Shake it off.
Neither are we to take credit for when hospitality is offered. The power we have comes through, not from us. Receive human hospitality as you received God into your life. And share God’s power for healing with those who offer you God’s hospitality. …
Share … even if they don’t agree with all your principles or notions of doctrine or other ideas of right/wrong. Those rigid calcifications are not mentioned here as being any part of the relationship, any more than Jesus uses them to distinguish sheep from goats (Matthew 25:31 ff.) Let go of those things that divide and separate us, and share in the hospitality God says is the basis of all meaningful human relationships.