Dear friends in Christ,
This coming Sunday’s epistle reading comes from James. It begins:
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.
Whether we are suffering, celebrating, or sick, we should pray. In other words, we are meant to pray without ceasing, as the scripture says elsewhere.
Our epistle reading this week was written to the leaders of the church, offering counsel for the fledgling church. It’s still good advice. We would do well to anchor our churches in prayer.
I have observed, however, that this is not always the case. Lay leaders and clergy discover a challenge and struggle to solve it. Vestries grapple with financial stress or church conflict or some other issue. In our pull-ourselves-up-by-your-bootstraps culture, we are all trained to solve our problems on our own. But this is not the Gospel.
If you or your church is facing a challenge, pray. If you are celebrating, pray. If you or someone you know is ill, pray. That’s just what James says, and it’s spot on. The first point is especially important.
A few years ago, I was working with a vestry who were facing a severe challenge. They talked about the problem from all angles and debated how to solve it. Then someone spoke up, “I don’t think we know the answer. We should pray.” After a moment, it was clear that everyone knew this was the thing to do.
Is your church struggling with a challenge, or maybe several of them? Let us pray.
Yours faithfully,
Scott Gunn
Executive Director
More from our ministry:
Essential reading for vestry members: Finance Resource Guide
New interview on our YouTube channel: Loving Your Neighbor in Springfield
Discuss immigration through the lens of scripture: No Longer Strangers
Check your spiritual health: Vital Signs of Faith