Pastor’s Corner (10/18)

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and
have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
James 5:13-16

As you receive the Messenger this week I’ll be undergoing outpatient eye surgery. As many of you have probably noticed, I’ve been struggling visually over the last couple of months (a little more than usual). Although I’ve been legally blind all my life, the last couple of months have seen a decrease in my vision. My eye doctor tells me this is not uncommon for someone with my eye condition. Eye surgery has made tremendous strides over my life time and now they are able to do things that border on miraculous. It is my hope, and prayer, that this will be true for me. Since they will be operating on my good eye I am a bit nervous.

A few weeks ago during worship we heard the above portion of the Epistle of James. As this letter draws to a close, the author pens words of encouragement for those to whom he writes. Now, I invite us all to take these words of encouragement to heart. I invite you to pray for me and my surgeon. I make this request with great confidence, because I know this congregation is a praying congregation. We lift up many people for prayer and I know many of you mean it when you say “I’ll be praying for you.” Like most congregations, we always know people in need of prayer. Our Elders, Deacons, Stephen Ministers, and Monday Prayer Partners all pray for many people every week and every day. I, as your
pastor, and our Care Ministries Volunteer Elaine Parman, also lift many of you in prayer regularly. Whether it’s dealing with illness, recovering from surgery, struggling with the challenges of growing older, dealing with job loss or change, or facing any number of issues and problems, there are many people in prayer. Now, I welcome those prayers. I give thanks for each and every one of you; for your prayers, your patience and your loving concern.

With a truly grateful heart,
Pastor Karen