Eugene Peterson, the author of the Message Bible translation, says in one of his books that he loves how a gathering of the Church calls us to prayer, whether we want to or not. Recall from our liturgy how often we hear, ‘Let us pray.’ It is not a question but a call to prayer – regardless of our feelings or disposition. Last Sunday at Servants was, for me, a day of living out the power of this truth. I had just come off my week of vacation in Saint Augustine Beach. The only thing negative about a week at the beach is that you always wish you had another week, right? And yet, we are called to gather and pray. I’m so glad I was there.
What did God want to say to us? Remember, prayer is not just our talking to God, but listening, in order to hear from Him. Jason Dampier preached God’s word, we acknowledged the growth of our children in our Bible presentations to four rising 4th through 6th graders, and Samantha Farmer shared with the congregation about her time on the World Race. Our liturgy and music provided a context for the sharing, ending in the Eucharist. But the power of all these elements was in the context of the Church.
Who “we” are in Christ is far greater than you or me individually as Christians. As Paul expresses in Colossians above, I am abounding in thanksgiving for the ways I see the Body of Christ at work. Led by the Holy Spirit, ministry teams, Community Groups, and men and women’s study groups minister to one another and newcomers. The Body of Christ is called to minister to one another, and that is happening all over our community at Servants. But even beyond our community, many of us from Servants saw Camp Araminta function powerfully as the Body of Christ. The Camp once again grew by 22% and God provided caring adults to lead a team of 41 high schoolers ministering to 141 campers! We have so much to be thankful for this summer.
My prayer is that we continue to “walk in Christ” as Paul calls us to do, rooted and built up. I shared these verses on Sunday before the Bible presentation to our kids. Walking in Christ is both following in Jesus’ teachings (walking with Christ), but also involves seeking the mind of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit (being in Christ). How do we do this? It starts by gathering together on and away from Sundays. Who are you gathering with this week? Hope to see you Sunday as we celebrate our Lord Jesus and strengthen our ministry partnership in Christ.
Onward and Upward,
Alex +
Prayer Requests for Upcoming Parish Events:
- Parish Meeting August 28th, where we will discuss our future
- September 3rd Vestry Retreat for strategic planning
- September 4th Ordination of James Manley and Baptisms
- September 10th Consecration of Jim Hobby as Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh