Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Join Me in a Prayerful November!
Oh, oh, oh.....
All Saint's Day.
I'm Catholic and we've always viewed November as the month of remembrance followed by December, the month of anticipation and joy. I don't remember if that was taught to me, or it just made sense because All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day are followed by Thanksgiving later in the month.
Remembering those who've gone home to God is good regardless of denomination, right? And praying for the families of those who've lost someone is also good.
These days, I pray for prayer. I pray that God's people will pray. That we'll all gather physically and spiritually and revive the hunger for prayer in our cities and towns. That we'll take as much time for God and church as we do for shopping or trash TV.
That we reach out every time we see someone down on their luck with whatever we have, even if it's just a smile. An unexpected smile heals a great deal of heartache.
I love prayers. I love sacrifice. I love striving to be less of a jerk. (That last one is a work in progress, which probably means I'm not striving enough!)
I love going to church because it's a public symbol of unity. It's too easy in our fragmented lives to shrug off that public symbol. I find it heartening to set aside that time. Show up. Pray. Sing. Pray some more. Sure I could pray at home. We all pray at home, right? That's what makes Sunday special. Not just an afternoon pot roast or chicken and biscuits or pizza during the game...
That morning spent in communal prayer.
The world is filled with communal people praying against us. That's a bad scenario. We need to link together through God to be the best we can be. To maintain our country's strength.
Prayer is so easy, so awesome. And this month, a prayerful month, is like the world's very best place to start. And then we can celebrate Thanksgiving together, happy. Prayerful. Joyous.
Join me. I don't care what denomination you are. In Ruthy-world religion doesn't matter because faith ranks supreme. Simple faith. The faith of a child.
Join me in a month of gentle prayer. Many voices, rising upward, hands clasped.
What a beautiful image.
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Amen.
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy to remember to pray in the midst of the storm or to have those prayers battered down by the same storm.
May we pray together in whispers and hugs with word and action.
Peace, Julie
Beautifully written (as usual!), Ruthy.
ReplyDeleteYes, regardless of denomination, as long as we believe in the same things--the Bible, Jesus as Lord and Savior and being the Son of God and His death and resurrection--we are all ONE FAMILY.
Our church practices this. We have a monthly worship event, into which we have incorporated some prayer, and it is for all churches in our county. We gather together to worship God. And now our pastor has begun a First Sunday Prayer evening for those in our church--the first one is this Sunday, November 4th, so we can pray for the upcoming elections.
And one of our members is the director of the Wayne County Prayer House. We are trying to get prayer to sweep across our county...
So...again...beautifully written, dear lady...
Hugs,
Melanie
If we can snowball that feeling you so eloquently described, Melanie... and Julie, yes, yes, yes, it's so easy to find prayer in times of stress, fear, and joy...
ReplyDeleteand then jump-start ourselves through those normal days when we think we're in control. ;) Joining hands and hearts... and spreading the word. Prayerful November...
I'm IN!!!
Love it, Ruthy. My church does something twice a year called "Prayer Experience" and it truly is that. I mean, look at how often Jesus prayed, and He's, well, you know. =) The part about those praying against us resonated. *HUGS*
ReplyDeleteNancy, you're in! And I know there are folks who've stopped in who aren't comfortable commenting, but are in agreement. Quiet, heartfelt...
ReplyDeletetogether we can do anything. Together we are a mighty force of love.
Wow, what a post. You always surprise me with the beauty and thoughtfulness of your words.
ReplyDeleteI'm in! I'm super bad at letting the world tke over my time... Like whiney toddlers and a sick load of dishes.
Now, why doesn't God tug at our legs and shriek about his breafast cereal being soggy?? And why is it so easy for me to pay attention to that instead of the One who gives such peace?
Oh, yes, count me in.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder, Ruthy.
ReplyDeleteI usually have my students fill a heart full of names of deceased family and friends for us to pray for in November but since we've been off all month, we haven't done it yet. Have to put that on the list for Monday.
And I agree about the communal prayer. I take my class to Mass every Wednesday morning. We've talked about how we attend Mass with our own families so it's important to attend as a class family.
I'm happy to join you in a month of prayer.
Oh, what a lovely group we're forming... And there are quiet folks on the side as well... and it's good to whisper this campaign in your neighborhoods... in your clubs... or your stores, churches, etc. How silly of us to forget the simplicity of prayer but we all do it.
ReplyDeleteBusy lives. Gentle hearts.
We're on our way.... and I'd love for more to join us openly or quietly. It's all good.