Remember to Breathe - May 23
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77, [79]; Lev. 25:35-55; Col. 1:9-14; Matt. 13:1-16
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in one of my favorite events of the year, the Saint Stephen’s Preschool graduation. Maybe it is the memories of my own daughter standing there with a big grin in front of a nave of grandparents and parents and special friends marking the transition from one chapter to another. The children march into our nave to Pomp and Circumstance, sing some of Ms. Whitney’s famous Bible songs, then teach us about Alabama, and they beam with pride as parents clap and cheer supporting all that they have learned over the course of three years.
It is that season in life, where there are so many events celebrating and marking transitions. There are graduations galore at preschools, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and seminaries. Performances and choir ensembles are happening with people of every grade. All of these events have a few things in common: they draw together a wide range of supporters and they require the honoree to stand in front of others.
There is a nervousness that comes from being in front of others. Some of the best advice is simply, “don’t forget to breathe.” Sounds overly simplistic, but these moments when we are called to stand before others can be stressful and daunting. I’ve seen at least one groom faint and more children and youth than I can remember. But these events always become visible reminders of just how large a community is and the support that is pouring in beyond family. One of my son’s classmate’s parents could not attend the awards ceremony for their child, but all of the parents there clapped and applauded when he received his reward, a tangible reminder of a much larger community than his family.
The passage this morning from Colossians is an encouraging reminder that the community of Colossae has been continuously prayed for by Paul and Timothy, ‘without ceasing’ in their words. It reminds me of the real power of the body of Christ. We pray by name every Sunday for our partner churches in Thomasique, Haiti and Fairfield, Alabama. And maybe more important to those reading, those communities pray for you. There are numerous prayer lists that float among our pastoral care teams, some that are private and others that are public. And this summer, the Rev. Katherine Harper will launch a campaign to pray for everyone by name in our congregation and send a card sharing when that happened. There are people praying for you and for me and for the world, so much so that I would wager that prayer is happening without ceasing.
In the words of Paul and Timothy (or who wrote in their name), may that “lead to lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.” Maybe more important, may you know that you are not alone in this journey and that a great cloud of witnesses is behind you in your journey of life and faith. Remember to breathe, because there are lost more people cheering you on than you might imagine.
John+
Question for Self-Reflection: How do you pray? Are you aware of the prayers of others? How does that support or encourage you? How could your prayer life be different?
Daily Challenge: Download the prayer list from last week and pray for the names on the list and the people who have had birthdays this past week.