Joining Together as Spiritual Pilgrims
Recently I’ve realized that a common thread weaves
through my “membership” in this family of faith. Together with many of you,
we are pilgrims on a journey to discover what God is yearning for us to be
and to do. We are asking each other what difference does it make for us to
call ourselves Christ-followers? And we engage in prayer together in the
confidence that God will help answer our questions.
Being in solidarity through prayer is my strongest
connection with all of you. When I pray for Iraq each day, I know that I’m
part of the larger whole of 60+ Trinitarians and many more Christians
worldwide in these daily prayers. When I pray with my “Unbinding Your
Heart” prayer journal, I’m in solidarity with my 42 Sunday School class
members who pray the same passages and respond to the same questions. When
I pray before beginning my study of scripture for worship planning, I’m
aware that 15 other worship planners are praying through the same
scriptures. When I receive from or send news to the Deacons and Parish
Nurse, Kathy Welch, of you and your family and friends needing pastoral
care, I’m comforted that 11 of us are praying for your specific needs for
healing or strength or comfort. When these joys and concerns are lifted up
in worship and listed in the bulletin, I thank God that countless numbers of
you respond with prayer. When I join our Long Range Planning group, we
steep ourselves in Christ’s presence using a prayer we have composed.
Last, some of you have committed to pray for my ministry and my family.
Over and over again God reminds me that prayer is our
spiritual compass binding us to each other and to Jesus. Through prayer we
have opportunities to “see” God moving, acting, and breathing in our lives.
Through prayer we can raise our doubts and despairs to God. Through prayer
we can ask, “What do you want me to do with my life? What do you want me to
do today? How can I be faithful to you, God?”
In an effort to bring all of us into a common circle of
prayer, I invite you to place this prayer from Kenneth Bylerly that I’ve
adapted, on your desk or refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Take a minute
each day through the month of July to pray it, knowing that you’re part of
the whole Trinity community praying together. Let me know what you discern
– what you experience – as you engage in a common act with your sisters and
brothers of faith:
O God, deliver us from
frantic efforts, burnout, and organizational heart attacks.
O God, deliver us from
desperately holding steady, hoping for the best and other forms of denial.
O God, deliver us from
bad habits which prevent us from looking forward and help us to strengthen
what remains.
We thank you God for
the uncertainty of the future.
We thank you God for
helping us experience what it means to trust you more than our own efforts.
O God, help us discern
our future.
O God, help us look
for windows of opportunity.
O God, help us to sing
new songs of wholeness, refreshment and rest.
Help us to bring forth
the Church you want rather than the Church we expect.
In Christ’s name.
Amen.
Grace and
Peace,
Shelley
