October 30, 2020
Dear Lake B Family and Friends,
This letter will be simple. I would like to offer a prayer for you to use in the days and weeks ahead as we approach and move past election day next Tuesday. Resist being anxious or fearful. Rather, let us lean into God and into community to remind ourselves that whatever the outcome, our faith in this moment is calling us into solidarity with and in Christ AND into a Holy deep awareness of our neighbor. Wisdom in this moment is to pray and to hold sacred space for one another – and particularly for those who are the most vulnerable. We are making laminated copies of this prayer available at the front door of the main of the office for anyone that would like to come by and walk the prayer labyrinth from November 3rd to November 13th from 10:00AM – PM. (except Monday, November 9th). You can come to the church and pray while walking the labyrinth print and use this copy at home. If you do come to the church, be sure to bring an umbrella! Bring a friend – and if there are people already in the labyrinth, take a walk around the neighborhood! There is no right or wrong way to walk the prayer labyrinth. Use this prayer as a guide. You don’t have to pray every line – find the moments in the prayer that capture your imagination and stay with it. Breathe this prayer deeply. Many thanks to Esther Lee who offered this prayer for us during the recent weeks of conversations about the Lord’s Prayer. Lastly, please remember to attend the Special Congregational Meeting Sunday, Nov 1 @ 11:00 am to vote on the 2021Terms of Call for Pastor Lina. Here's the link below for the ZOOM link. https://zoom.us/j/99115043091?pwd=Z3JRa1l1NmNwNVcrTk41NWJORDRHUT09 Grace and peace, Pastor Lina The Lord’s Prayer Our Father and Mother, Our Creator and Sustainer, Our Redeemer and Sanctifier Who is in heaven Yet who came to be near as A Jewish man named Jesus of Nazareth Hallowed be your name For Your name holds all of who you are. The Lord Our Provider, Our Shepherd, Our Rock, Our Healer, Our Peace May your kingdom come Here and now Birthing new life in these valleys of death Help us to see where your Spirit is working and moving… And may your will be done on earth As it already is in heaven With the valleys filled and mountains made low, Crooked roads made straight And rough ways made smooth Give us our daily bread The sustenance for our journey, our daily manna So that no one is hungry We all have more than enough at your banquet table. For You are the God of abundance and not scarcity. Forgive our debts Of violence, injustice, the harm we inflict on the image of God in each other As we forgive others So that the lion may sit with the lamb, Transformed, changed from the inside out. Lead us not into temptation, Of comfort, of callousness Of just “good enough” But deliver us from evil, From the serpent spitting lies that we can become gods ourselves. Because Yours is the kindom that welcomes all who gather And the Royal power that overthrows empires And the glory that shines like the morning sun Forever and ever, Amen. |