Prayer During Interim Time

In both Isaiah and Matthew we read my house shall be called a house of prayer. God’s word is filled with calls to prayer, teaching on prayer, Jesus finding time and space for prayer, and beautiful prayers for all circumstances. I believe Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Whatever form prayer takes, it is clearly a gift, an invitation, and important to our relationship with God.

Many of you are already praying for this season in Resurrection’s life. While prayer is vital to all our days, this time of transition is an important season to grow in our prayer lives. To support and encourage you in this, and to unite us all as a house of prayer, the e-letter will contain a different prayer each week. Consider setting a specific time or place each day to pray for the local and global church. Maybe you will choose to sit with a specific Bible verse related to discernment or the future God has for us. Or some may prefer to give more time to quiet and listening, as together we ask for God’s guidance and wisdom. Please join our faith community in the call of 1 Thessalonians 5:17, to pray without ceasing.

God of grace, help us sense your presence with us as we reflect on and remember the past and live into the future you offer us. Remind us of the many ways you have provided for your people with countless blessings and amazing, steadfast love. Help us to reflect that and be loving lights to one another. Guide our steps and fill us with hope as we continue to grow into the church you call us to be. Amen.

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:15-16

And They're Off!

These two vans are filled with luggage, laughter, expectations, anxiety, hope, energy, and ten students, four adults, all fired up to rise up together. On their way to the triennial ELCA Youth Gathering, this group will immerse themselves in worship and work under the theme Rise Up Together. The gathering website explains the theme: We were meant to be together, and we are a church that believes God is calling us into the world—together. So every now and then, we gather young people and adults together to share their unique stories and to experience the larger story that makes up the ELCA; we gather to be inspired, encouraged, strengthened, connected and sent out to do God’s work in the world—together!

Please pray that the Resurrection group, and the thousands with whom they will gather, will indeed be inspired and called to rise up in praise and in service. We believe each participant will know God’s presence and grow closer to Jesus Christ in varied and amazing ways this week.