Dear Members, Friends, Siblings, All,

Our gospel reading for the coming week is Luke 18:1-8, a parable about prayer, persistent prayer. Joyce Myers-Brown introduced News This Week in Prayer and often shares the Friday submissions with others, as is her way. They have become my way to keep up with world events and to pray for the world without the overwhelm of news. I always need help and last Friday’s offering was especially helpful for me. It also seemed appropriate for today, the eve of No Kings II.

Come to worship on Sunday when our focus will continue on persistent prayer. Join us as Streamers or as Gatherers but do plan to be with us. Together in worship, we cultivate the courage and encouragement to pray and to pray without ceasing. At least, I think that’s right. Anyway, together is always better, I am sure of that. 

Love and hugs,

Rev. Liz

And now, here is a prayer for the week:

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
–St. Teresa of Avila (16th Century)

One would think that nearly 25 years after founding World in Prayer, and hundreds of people trained during that time to encounter international news and respond with prayer, taking my turn at writing these prayers would always come easily to me. Oh, I’m a good enough wordsmith to be able to compile something resembling coherent prayers each time. But the prayers God prays in me are often wordless. The prayers of the clenched jaw, or knotted gut, the gentling hand or longing heart. Prayers of the helping checkbook, or the feet that want to run away. Prayers that speak in food prepared and offered, prayers that celebrate in awe-filled photography. Prayers embodied.

For the entire prayer, visit this page!