"All of life is business with God…" John Calvin
One of the joys of church membership is seeing the children of our congregation being brought by their parents for baptism. As a covenant community, we delight to participate in the responsibilities of nurturing these precious young lives in the knowledge of the Lord. Being Presbyterians, children are usually baptized in the first weeks or … Continue reading Prayer For our Grandchildren (and children!)
Hearing the love for Christ and his church in the words of our elder-led prayers on Sunday morning is so comforting. These under-shepherds to the Great Shepherd care for the flock, and their compassion shows. I am so grateful to God for these men who carry this stewardship with humility and love. May he continue … Continue reading How We Prayed
This past Sunday morning, our church's congregational prayer was led by an elder who is so saturated in God's word that it flows out into his prayers with heartfelt fervor. Listening to this man pray has helped teach me to pray. While he expresses humility and awe throughout, his prayers also testify to a simplicity … Continue reading How We Prayed
Our church has returned to in-person worship. Though we are taking measures to help with social distancing, and several elements of our Sunday mornings have changed, it is a blessing beyond words to worship together, singing hymns of truth and the beauty of our Lord to one another and to him, standing next to one … Continue reading How We Prayed
Psalm Ninety-Four O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They crush your people, O … Continue reading A Prayer For Justice
Yesterday, as we watched the livestream service of our home church from our living room, the elder-led congregational prayer was lifted to God's throne from the pulpit of an empty sanctuary. The pews may have been empty, but the Spirit of the Lord was there, helping our dispersed congregation in our weakness, interceding for the … Continue reading How We Prayed
Three whole weeks ago, on Friday, March 13, 2020, we officially began our homebound exile from society. At first it was self-imposed, as my husband discovered that he had a fever (it was just a cold—he’s fine). On that day the alarms increased hourly in the news, and the need to isolate ourselves became as … Continue reading Poverty in Prayer
During our worship Sunday morning, January 19, 2020, Pastor Berdj's congregational prayer emphasized God's loving, sovereign care: in making himself known, in calling to salvation and caring for his Church as a whole, and in his particular care for his individual children. We also agreed in prayer that our wise and powerful God is sovereign … Continue reading How We Prayed
On Sunday, January 5th, the first Lord's Day of the new year, our elder-led congregational prayer was focused on the most basic, but also most vitally important thing that we as individual Christians and as a church need: God's Word. I asked if I may reprint it here, as a reminder that our Only Wise … Continue reading How We Prayed
Grateful 