Dear Friends,
This month we will begin the season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday, February 14, we are invited “in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” (BCP p. 265)
This Lent I would like for us to pay particular attention to our individual prayer lives and what that means to us. I am often asked why do we pray? If God knows our desires and needs then why is it necessary to pray? Prayer, as we know from the Catechism (BCP p. 856), is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words. The principal kinds of prayer are adoration, praise, thanksgiving, penitence, oblation, intercession and petition.
I believe that Soren Kierkegaard stated it best when he said “Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes the one who prays.” When we pray, we are acknowledging our relationship with God and our need for God. We cannot tell God what to do or who to heal, but we can draw closer in our dependence with the One who can. When we communicate with God we become aligned with God’s will, our desires, fears, hopes and wants are known and received.
For many years Birdie Lighthiser has overseen our Prayer Vine. Many of you have reached out to Birdie for prayer requests and have been the recipient of these prayers. We are strengthened by knowing that so many are interceding on our behalf or on behalf of a loved one. The time has come for us to continue this great ministry in another way. Knowing the importance of this ministry, we will now be overseeing it through our church office. Wendy and I will be sending the requests to our church family who are committed to praying for one another. You may join this group or be removed from the group at any time.
We also have a prayer list that is included in our weekly bulletins and The Messenger Newsletter. Starting this month, we will be managing this list differently. The list will be divided between Church Members and Family and Friends of Church Members. If you would like for a name to be included on the list, please notify the church office. Names will be included for a specified period of time and then will be removed, unless you request longer. We are going to start the list over so that names that have been placed on the list for a particular circumstance that are no longer needed may be removed. Since we are not aware of all of these situations all names will come off and we will begin again. When adding someone to the prayer list, please make sure that the recipient has given their permission to be included. When the hospital stay, treatment or situation has ended, please let us know so that we can give thanks and remove the name from the list. See enclosed form.
As we draw nearer to God through Christ and the Holy Spirit during this Lenten season, let us remember that through communicating in prayer, we will be changed. If you would like to discuss your personal prayer life or would like suggestions for new ways to talk with God, please let me know. I am more than happy to discuss this.
Blessings,
Gini+