Dear Church family,

I like the way we are doing prayers now. It seems more personal to offer thanksgiving or prayer for a need immediately after the request is given.  The prayer requests seem more focused.  There is a poignancy  to the expression of personal woundedness and pain  and passion in the heartfelt prayers  for community and nation.

At a practical level this format helps me keep better track of the requests and pray more directly. And I like the opportunity to express our plea, “Lord hear our prayer.”

Prayer is the heartbeat of a church’s life, and I look forward to this time in our worship each week.

The scripture readings for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost are Jeremiah 4:1-10 and Luke 13:1-9. The sermon is “Giving us Time.”  The opening hymn will be a medley of contemporary praise songs.

See you in church.
Rich