Newsletter

From the Pastor’s Desk:
How do you pray?

How do you pray? Do you close your eyes or stare into the corner of the room? Do you recite a prayer that you memorized so far back that you don’t remember when you first learned it? Or are your prayers more free-flowing, allowing every thought to pour out of your heart to God? There is no right way to pray, so long as you take the time, even if it is only breath’s worth as you head into work or an appointment. It is important that we take the time to recognize God in our lives and call upon God for help in living in this world.
Prayer is the backbone of our spiritual lives as Christians, it is the most basic practice that we are taught first and one that should be maintained throughout our lives. But because of that, often our prayer life becomes… stale. I hope that is not true for you, but I know for many it is. There are number of reasons:

First, we grow as people but our prayer life doesn’t always grow with us.

The prayer that my daughter says every night is perfect for her. It is tailored to her world and her concerns, but it is not enough for me. I need a prayer that engages with the complex worries of my adult life, I need my prayers to sometimes be angry or sad, I need time to struggle with God. I may also need new frameworks (outlines or full prayers) to offer me new paths in my conversation with God. The prayers that we have always said are great, but we also need to recognize that we are not the same people, so our prayer life must grow too.

Second, we only pray in one way. If you take a moment and search “types of prayer” on the internet, you see people offering lists 4 to 12 ‘types’ of prayer. Usually they include such types as: petition, praise, & thanksgiving. You probably engage multiple types in a single prayer, or perhaps you aren’t, or there is a type that you have never really tried. I invite you to try others and to push your boundaries in what you say to God.

Third, we talk too much! When was the last time you sat silently in prayer (without thinking a prayer either) and listened for God’s voice? It isn’t truly a conversation with God if you don’t give God a chance to talk back. This is one of the hardest and most awkward skills to learn in our prayer lives, which may be the reason that many of us don’t engage with it very well. However, it is also powerful and opens us to be in closer relationship with God. Give yourself some exercise on that skill, start small and work your way towards longer moments of silence and listening.

Lastly, we pray alone too much. When is the last time you prayer with someone? (And I don’t mean during Sunday morning worship!) Prayer is meant to be communal as well as private. We are invited to pray for and with one another. Open prayer with a small group or just one other person invites us to be in deeper relationship with one another and Christ. (If you are looking for a group to pray with, you are invited to join us at the church building at 6pm on Tuesdays and 1pm on Wednesdays for prayer.)

A word of warning, revitalizing your prayer life opens you to a dangerous power, God. You never know where God will lead you when you listen, but of course, you will also live a life more fulfilling by doing so! Good luck and I pray that you will find the Spirit runs rampant in your life.

Prayer Meetings and Bible Study
Prayer Meetings & Bible Study
We have recently started a new Bible Study series that will examine the Book of Isaiah. This study will be offered twice a week (same lesson, two sessions) from April 19th until May 24th, then we will take a break until September 6th.

We will also continue to offer a Prayer Meeting, which personally I have found extremely beneficial for my spirit and highly encourage all to join. This will be offered 1 hour before each of the Bible Studies and will continue through the summer.

Tuesday Evenings: Prayer Meeting 6-7, Bible Study 7-8*
(On Tuesdays, both meetings will be offered in person & online)

Wednesday Afternoons: Prayer Meeting 1-2, Bible Study 2-3*
No Bible Study after May 24th until September 6th.

The Prayer Chain:
One of the most vital ministries that we offer one another is our prayers. We pray for each other in times of health and sickness, in moments of joy and sorrow. Sometimes, prayers are needed between our worship services or they are ones that we don’t want to publicly share but wish to be lifted up by the group. For these times we offer the Prayer Chain.

If you have a prayer that you wished to share among the community, you can reach out by: connecting Pastor Andrew’s cell, the Church Secretary’s phone. Reasons for prayers and names do not have to disclosed if that is your wish.

The call for prayers are then put out in two ways: the Email Group and the Call Chain. If you wish to be added to either of these groups, please contact the church secretary. Also, the Call Chain has been updated in the new Church Directory, please consult it if you are on or have been on the Call Chain to confirm who should call you, whom you should call, and that you are on the list if you want to be.

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