“Do not worry about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
-- Philippians 4:6-7
We need your prayers. I don’t know if you’ve ever said that to anyone before. Maybe you’ve said it to me (I get that a lot!). But, speaking for your congregation of Atonement I want to be sure you know this: We need your prayers.
I’m not saying this because we’re a dying church (we’re not), or because the bills aren’t getting paid (they are), or because there’s some terrible disaster about to happen (if there is, God hasn’t told me about it). In fact, we are doing better than ever in many respects, thank God! I’m saying this, or rather reminding you of this in case you’ve forgotten: We need your prayers. We always need your prayers — because we need to be a praying church.
Without regular prayer, we get caught up in the swirling waters of the world. We get sucked into the idea that we never have enough, nothing is ever good enough, and those who think differently are rivals or enemies. Without prayer, we are easily unsettled, easily frustrated, because instead of keeping an eye on what God is doing, all we see is what’s wrong in the world.
In his letter to the Philippians, from the darkness of a cold jail cell, St. Paul tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near (Philippians 4:4-5).” He then goes on to encourage us to pray to God and receive His peace.
We need your prayers more than ever because Atonement is entering an important moment in its history. We have seen this church grow and change and have been fixing things up that have been broken for a long time. We are coming to a crossroad that opens up many opportunities and directions for us. We have questions to answer and decisions to make as a congregation. How are we going to continue reaching out into the community? What shape will the future of our worship life take? What new priorities for mission and outreach will we follow? What about the new building, and other facility needs we already have? How will we organize our ministries and what kind of support staff will we need as we continue to grow?
When a period like this crops up in the church, we call it a time of discernment. Each day God gives us is new. New opportunities abound, and old ways no longer have to bind us. Who knows what we can become as we follow the Spirit which blows where it will? Only God, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that are not. God alone knows just where we are heading as a congregation, and so, like I said, we need your prayers.
I am very excited by the idea of Atonement becoming known as a praying church. This is a practice that goes hand in hand with being a disciple, a church member, a Christian, even just a human being. People pray all the time, without knowing it. Even so-called atheists, when they express a hope or desire in their heart, unconsciously lift it up to some higher power. As human beings, we are born connected to God, and as Scripture says, have God’s “law written on our hearts” Romans 2:15.
We all pray when we sigh and thank God for life’s blessings. We pray when we hope for a better world. We pray when we cry out for a loved one and long for their healing and restoration. As members of Christ’s church, our lives are as naturally inclined to prayer as our bodies are to breathing. In this time of discernment for our congregation, I hope you will join me in prayerfully seeking answers to the questions that will determine so much of our future, such as:
Å How can we live more deeply into God’s Word and Sacraments?
Å How can we be a more important asset to our community?
Å How should we promote our church and connect with friends and members in this age of social media?
Å How do we stay connected to what Christians are doing globally, ecumenically, and in our synod and conference?
Å What can we do to teach a healthy, holistic Christian spirituality for everyone, including a balance of the seven basic faith practices: worship, prayer, inviting, encouraging, serving, giving, and study?
Å How do we assist young families by helping them connect their children to God?
Å How do we engage each member of Atonement in ministry?
This month we will be walking again together down the Via Dolorosa with Jesus. The week before Easter, known as “Holy Week” because it leads us into the mystery and power of the cross, begins the preceding Sunday with Palm Sunday. That day we walk with Him through the gates of Jerusalem, and hear the cheers of the crowd there turn to shouts of “Crucify Him!” On Maundy Thursday we go back to the night He was betrayed and experience the institution of the Lord’s Supper, the washing of the disciples’ feet and the giving of the great commandment to love one another. Good Friday brings us face to face with the consequences of our own sin and the tremendous sacrifice that God made for us in giving His one and only Son so that we might have life.
Soon afterwards, that hard, dark road leads us out into a burst of glorious daylight as we find ourselves in the garden by an empty tomb on Easter morning. Expecting to see the world as it was, expecting the long hard road to continue, expecting more suffering, Easter crashes into our lives and bursts through our old ways of seeing. Instead, everything is made anew, transformed and better than ever.
What God has in store for His people exceeds their biggest dreams. It begins from where we are now, with a God who lives beside us, providing our daily bread and calling us to love and care more deeply. As we respond to the call, follow His lead, walk the paths He shows us, dare to continue even when the way gets hard, even though we stumble and fall, we rise again. This God of ours does not depart from us. He is a God of journeys who walks with us, always leading us from darkness to light. He comes to bring us love, forgiveness, and a new Spirit, and with that new Spirit comes a power that can change the world. Which is why, by the way, we need your prayers.
Peace,
Pastor Scott — Philippians 4:6-7
No comments:
Post a Comment