Held in Prayer

Last week we had the death of an elderly member and deaths of four family members of the congregation. I have never had so many to announce in a single service (only one was Covid-related as far as I know). Sadly, this may be just the beginning as we continue to live in the effects of the second wave of the pandemic, variant strains arrive among us and winter takes its toll.

As I think about this and the sorrow, I am still grateful. I’m grateful that the church where I serve has a prayer team who pray faithfully and never complain about the volume of requests. It gives them something tangible to do in a difficult time and I absolutely believe it makes a difference. I can fire off an e-mail and trust that prayer will be lifted. That is amazing and I don’t take it for granted. We also have a prayer shawl group who are continuing to crochet and knit even though they can’t do it together at church. Shawls are being delivered to those who are ill or experiencing loss and bringing comfort.

I add to this list gratitude that people are trusting, perhaps for the first time, that prayer will happen on their behalf, that they are deserving of it and that people care about them. This is a beautiful thing. That they trust me is humbling. Many request to be mentioned in the prayers of the people in worship, and I know that people are listening and praying and following up with phone calls or e-mail. As this difficult time continues and we can’t gather in person, knowing that we can reach out and support each other draws us together in Spirit and gives purpose.

That this is a praying congregation really isn’t new, but leaning into that identity in this time and allowing it to bring healing and hope to people, especially those newer to us, is a wonderful thing. There is perhaps a heightened awareness of the importance of prayer as the stakes are elevated in this time that death and suffering is all around us. My community has for the most part dodged widespread transmission, but our numbers are up and long term care is starting to be impacted. This has very quickly become very real.

There is such beauty in the family of God coming together in prayer, seeking God’s healing for others and spreading compassion and care. This is a significant part of what we are called to do, within and outside our congregations. As the needs increase, I pray that I can communicate my continuing trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness, even if the answers to prayer aren’t always what we want.

I wrote about last week being the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. I’ve been blessed to take in the Calvin Symposium on Worship these past two weeks, where the focus in worship has been on God’s sovereignty and faithfulness, while opening up time for lament and corporate prayer, joining people from across the globe. It was a poignant reminder to me that none of us are alone in this, that the concerns and fears are literally shared around the world, and that we pray as one to the same God.

I don’t know how heavily taxed you are right now with care concerns, deaths and sorrow in your situation. I would imagine things will get worse before they get better. No matter what you’re facing, I encourage you to leverage the power of prayer within your circle, your congregation and your networks. Let your phone conversations, e-mail and distanced in person interactions be a prayer. Let your words be a vehicle for the Holy Spirit’s gentle care. Let your trust in God’s power and love guide you and reassure you that you aren’t alone.