"Jesus and the Psalms, a Well-stocked mind", Dean Willis from Atlanta Cathedral, 25th Feb 2024

Welcome to the Garden Congregation KZbin Channel!
Thank you for joining us!
A reflection on the way in which Jesus uses verses from the psalms, particularly when countering authoritative figures who are questioning or interrupting his teaching. He turns to these sentences also in times of personal stress or pain this points to very good reasons for us knowing and using the psalms in many different ways today. This talk was given at the Dean's Forum, part of the extensive adult education programme run by the beautiful Cathedral Church of St Philip the Deacon, Atlanta GA. If you enjoy this talk then do be sure to check out the sermons given that morning at the 8.45am and the 11.15am Eucharists also given by Dean Willis - these, and many more wonderful resources, are available on the cathedral website - www.cathedralatl.org
When Canterbury Cathedral was closed to the clergy by the Archbishop in March 2020 the then Dean, Robert Willis, and his partner Fletcher took to filming daily services in their garden through to May 2022. Usually joined each day by at least one of their cats (Monkey, Lilly, Tiger or Leo) and a whole host of their menagerie from pigs and chickens to hedgehogs and newts and whilst sitting in the gardens through all seasons, this is a wonderful way to switch off and meditate whilst listening to a mix of poetry, recitals, current affairs, music - and of course the daily psalms and readings from the bible which are then explored and unpicked by Dean Robert.
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COMMUNITY PAGE - in the headlines within the channel click on "Community" which will take you to all the potings and information on where DEan Robert and Fletcher are as well as links to services and events which have been made public.
Thank you again for visiting this Channel and we hope that you will enjoy the films if this is your first time here - and if so then welcome to the Garden Congregation!
For Morning Prayer Dean Robert uses the Church of England book, “Common Worship Daily Prayer 2005” (Church House publishing). The bible is the English Standard Version (Collins), and occasionally - though always stated - Dean Robert uses the New Revised Standard Version or the King James.

[@rebeccaliming1330]

It's so good to share this time with Dean Willis. I do miss the Garden Congregation, but continue to listen to the past episodes. My prayer is that his retirement is a joyful one!

[@Mia-r9s9p]

Can't wait to hear this oratorio!!

[@jennylord409]

I am a member of Dean Willis' Garden Congregation, living in Rochdale, Lancashire, U.K. It is a while since I have been able to follow Dean Willis' Garden Services as I have been working as a Care Worker. I have missed him for some time, but I retired on Saturday evening after my evening visit with my Client, Marjorie. What a joy I've had to 'pick up the threads' this evening, so to speak. Happy Easter to you all! 😅

[@EnyalienMini]

The GC has become our church. My husband is bedridden, I am his only caretaker, and your messages are such a blessing because we can't go to a church building... And we've always met God best in nature anyway.

[@karenhardie291]

Good to see you again Robert Willis, still praying for you.

[@thomasdef634]

This made my day. Dean Robert, your voice and your words cheer the heart unfailingly.

[@hwestministries]

Just glorious -- a true gift to humanity, Robert ever will be.

[@MelissaBarclay-n7z]

Thank you for sharing these lenten pearls of wisdom & sharing your wonderful adventures

[@tony8074]

God bless you Dean Robert. I love your kind words.

[@jenniferbate9682]

Wonderful to see you Canon Willis again Thank you.

[@gingerhipszky228]

Makes my heart so, so happy to hear Dean Willis give us another lesson. What a wonderful teacher he is. Thank goodness for that first garden message. I remember him sitting next to a small fire, and giving us a lesson. This helped so, so helpful and encouraging.

[@julieredgers2383]

Thank you Dean Robert for again giving us food for thought.

[@theresapoelman631]

O, dean Robert ❤. Still sooooo missed .

[@barbaraison6181]

How wonderful to hear Dean Willis once again. I so miss the daily garden meditation.

[@elizabethtallman3280]

They Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee. I also love the rich language of the King James Version, and the old hymns of the faith help me to remember scripture and teach deep theology.

[@fransimpson6462]

I use my backpack daily and truly enjoyed listening to you today, my Lenten meditation has been enhanced once again.

[@christinacoughlin9946]

Wonderful ❤ I wish Dean Robert could do a daily video again, even a short one would be such a blessing 🩷

[@yvonnefarrell1029]

Dean Sam, for heaven's sake isn't Dean Robert amazing, but did he ask for a chair to sit on seeing as he is once again "on the stick" as he puts it? We give thanks for his ministry to us and for encouraging us to focus on knapsack sentences because we need them!

[@GardenCongregation]

Hello and good morning! Thank you for your kind message and please be assured that Dean Robert did not need a chair and had he needed one the AMAZINGLY thoughtful, hospitable, caring, - in short wonderful! - team headed by Dean Sam (an example of all those things himself) would have provided but DR did not need one. Your care is very touching though and thank you! Sending very best wishes x

[@adriennebeecker5000]

Wonderful to see and hear you Dean Emeritus Robert Willis/ ,You give us a picture of Jesus so that He is seen real as you describe Him,a young boy as “a bright little button”. Our church is studying the Book of Psalms every Wednesday evening during Lent and heard many of the verses in our Anglican liturgy are verses from the Psalms. As you said, we learn that Jesus knew all of the psalms.Thank God for your genius.

[@janethelder1454]

Good to see you again Dean Robert.

[@SusanneMBarrett]

Bless you, Dean Robert!! Our Reformed Episcopal BCP 2011 has the Psalms arranged to be read each day. I've been reading the Psalms every month for the past 12+ years, and I've learned some of them by heart over the years. Such a blessing!!

[@donnabridger6885]

Interesting, thank you.

[@elainegoolsby9902]

💓 Oh, how happy I was when you popped up on u-tube, speaking on Jesus, and the Psalms! I immediately sent the video to my friend whom I had got hooked you on your "Garden Talks," and then you retired, and "We knew not where our Dean had gone!" For a consultation I watched your episodes over, and also the ones I had missed. I sent the ones we hadn't seen before to my friend. I just loved how you talked to the animals and the birds, and showed us the beautiful flowers 🌺🌹. Such joy, knowledge, history, and wisdom you freely gave to us. Thank you, dear Dean, and thank you for making my last day of the Easter Season, May 19, 2024 an even more special day, than it was, before I found you, on a stormy day, in middle Georgia, after Mass. Also, amazingly, I have begun reading the Psalms from the beginning again, and am reading one to my Legionnaires each week, at our Legion of Mary meeting on each Thursday. God bless your wonderful Ministry. I also listened to you Fireside Stories! Oh my, what a wonderful time I had with you, the cats (so dear), and what a gift from the Holy Spirit to be able to listen to you again. Welcome to Atlanta, come back soon. God speed on your journey!🙏💓💒✝️✝️✝️💟🎶🎵🎶 As a Church soloist, some years ago, I often sang one of the Psalms. I loved singing the 23rd Psalm! Where can I get your new book when it is finished, and published?🙏💒🌹🌺🤗🕯️😻

[@lindaweber698]

Time spent with the Dean and Fletcher through the Garden Congregation has so increased my spiritual life. I thank you! I too listen to past GC mornings. God bless you and hold you in our midst for many more years. ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@anncawthon9183]

It is lovely to see you again and know that the Garden Congregation will be meeting. You are loved and appreciatd.

[@MelissaBarclay-n7z]

So much to put in the knapsack! This has inspired me to read Psalms daily.

[@nilsthomesen]

Thank you Dean Willis. 🤔I’m wondering if you and Fletcher would ever consider visiting a Lutheran congregation in Minnesota ?

[@caroladele-jewett856]

And stop by our St. Mark’s Cathedral too.

[@pennyclay4127]

Thank you Dean Robert. Good to see you again. I wonder if you still remember me, that woman from Loughborough who accosted you on the green outside the cathedral?

[@rhocroft9394]

Brilliant. Thank you.

[@elizabethtallman3280]

Thy

[@caroledrury1411]

Are there scriptures that mention cats?

[@GardenCongregation]

@@caroledrury1411 Hello and thank you for the question! Do you know, this is one of the oddest things about the bible - there is no mention of (domestic) cats! There are mentions of lions, of course, and leopards and possibly even tigers but not domesticated cats and I have always believed that this is because of their immense recognition by other cultures at the time as gods - such as in Egypt. I think that it is in recognition of their allure and power that they were not even named as false gods (such as the golden calf) but were just omitted - perhaps because their significance was too great and it was best not to go anywhere near the subject? So one has mentions of dogs and other domestic animals but not cats. This is particularly odd as there were domesticated cats and animals were kept as pets, though for reasons of uncleanliness there may have been issues of having animals in the house for some and the Talmud is conflicted on the issue but Levitical law states that all domesticated animals are to be treated well, taken care of, rested on Shabbat and in Bava Kamma 80a it states the permissibility of raising certain types of dogs and cats because they "keep the house free of vermin". There is a questionnable mention in the apocryphal Letter of Jeremiah which includes them with bats and birds 'causing damage' to false idols but as with all apocryphal texts this is questionnable anyway and also exact translation and interpretation of this text has always been a matter of conjecture so it is safe to ssy that there are, sadly, no mentions of cats in the scriptures so we just have to cling to catechism! I hope this helps? Very best wishes, F x

[@caroledrury1411]

@@GardenCongregation thank you so much for the time you took to answer my question at length. I carve and paint large screens with often parable like stories and have added cats in my screens as I have three cats. I also love the fact that you often have cats in your garden talks. Coming to you from Vermont