A New Message

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

The peace and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, faithful saints! In the prayer vigil on Sunday, March 29th, fifty-two people devoted their hearts to the healing of the world through prayer. My heart is overflowing with awe at the power of the Spirit in our midst.

In one of my classes on prayer, we compared praying to that of a watershed, a network of tributaries and rivers that in their downward flow meet, grow, expand, widen, and eventually empty into the earth’s oceans. I’ve ever since liked this image of prayer. Whenever I am praying, I know that other people (and even all creation) are praying as well. Our voices and hearts are networked to send into the universe this ebbing flow of praise and petition. Never alone, I am giving and receiving the grace of the universe in a powerfully, collaborative force of goodness and compassion. Prayer is a watershed, a network of grace into which you can tap anytime, anywhere. So when I pray, I imagine jumping into the river and swimming with the infinite voices of the universe.

I encourage all of us to continue this ministry of ceaseless prayer, to pour out our praise and supplications to Creator God. On Sunday, April 26, Calvary UMC will host another 24-hour prayer vigil. Through this sharing in the Spirit of Christ, we are the living Body of Christ. Once again, let us be a collective voice of healing for the world.

Prayer In the River
by Tamie Scalise

O Lord, hear your people crying!
Like the rains of spring, we weep.
The ground is saturated,
and so it runs in rivers,
racing across the land,
collecting the salt of the earth.
Like the ocean, you are awaiting us,
to gather our tears,
to hold our sorrows,
and to transform our pain to joy.

O Lord, hear your people crying!
Our fear trembles and shakes;
it reverberates from nation to nation,
without borders,
regardless of race,
and sounds the same in every language.
Great Healer, come.
Eternal Life, come.
Merciful Hand, come touch us.
All the ground will calm. Peace!

O Lord, hear your people crying!
We face the storm of Noah
and cross the Red Sea with the Israelites
and toss violently in the boat with the disciples.
With you, Great Liberator,
we are free of our sorrow and fears.
We stay still.
The dove will return with the olive branch;
our enemy will be defeated;
Jesus will smile upon our faith.

We are not afraid;
our cup overflows.

God’s Peace be with you~

Pastor Tamie