Pastor’s Corner September 8th, 2022
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” – Martin Luther
When I googled the phrase “quotes about prayer” several items popped up. Prayer is such a central part of the spiritual life, no matter what faith tradition one follows. There are so many forms of prayer; individual and corporate, written and spontaneous, private and shared, formal and informal. In our recent Elders meeting we discussed the chapter entitled “Prayer” in Rev. Kenneth C. Haugk’s book Christian Caregiving: A Way of Life. During that time of conversation and reflection we talked about the various forms of prayer mentioned above. We also spent some time talking about the Prayer Ministry of our congregation. We also discussed that at one point we had developed a Team of individuals who had volunteered for this important ministry. Some of those people have moved away and this seemed like a good time to revamp our communal prayer life. The Elders want to extend an invitation to everyone to be part of this important and vital ministry. As leaders in our faith community the currently serving Elders and Pastor will be integral to this ministry, but we know there are others who may have the spiritual gift of prayer and we want to invite them to join us.
“True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in cases of emergency. Make it a habit, and when the need arises you will be in practice.” – Billy Graham
Most of the prayer requests we get here at FCC are related to emergencies and times of struggle. We often hear from those dealing with illness or those making the journey with family or friends who are struggling. Our prayer concerns also include those who are grieving and dealing with the pain and loss that brings. As Graham pointed out, the more we come to God in prayer the more it becomes interwoven into the fabric of our lives. Sometimes it is easier to lift up others in prayer, particularly when we know they are in need. Such prayer seems more comfortable for many of us, but I think it also leads us deeper into prayer for ourselves as well. Like building skill in anything, as Graham pointed out, practice is essential. So, if you are interested in practicing and going deeper into prayer join us on our Prayer Team. We don’t meet as a group so no meetings are involved. When we get prayer requests the church office will send out a notice that prayer has been requested. Depending on the preferences of those on the Team, notices will be sent out via email or phone calls. The Prayer Team, like the rest of the congregation, will also be invited to pray for those we list in our newsletter The Messenger.
“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” – Corrie ten Boom
I hope you will consider joining us in this important ministry here at FCC. If you have questions or want to sign on let me know. Please feel free to talk with any of our active Elders as well; Cec Burkhart is the Chair, or feel free to contact Elaine Parman, Jim Blosser, Deb Ortega, Wayne Duncan, or Monte Dietrick. Put yourself in the driver’s seat and make prayer your steering wheel and not just a spare tire!
With a prayerful heart, Pastor Karen
