The foundation for the co-pastorate model is prayer. One of our favorite elements of this type of pastoring is that ultimately all things must be placed in the hands of God. Neither of us can make decisions alone, but must make church decisions within a community and in God's guidance. All that we do must be bathed in prayer.
A large portion of the Called to Become guide is prayer. We believe prayer is hallmark to the Christian journey.
We were asked several times over the weekend, how should we pray for you guys? Let us give our answer like this. First, pray for all of us- not just Mike and Griff. This entire community needs prayer because we are all in this together. Second, in your prayers ask the following: God what do you want from our church community?
Our desire is for this to be a community following and seeking after the call of God. We want to be a community that is about the Kingdom work of Jesus Christ.
Start you prayers there and see what God lays on your heart for our church.
One of the prayers we use most often comes from Thomas Merton and as such is called the Merton prayer. We hope you will use this a personal and communal prayer in the next few weeks:
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."
- St. Augustine
No comments:
Post a Comment