We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
So far, for many people this has been quite a summer. For some, the days have been dreadfully hot and dry. For others, summer has brought with it an opportunity for vacation and travel with family and friends. And for those who are apt to volunteer, it has been a summer filled with church work. I can count several people for whom this has been a summer of recovery from illness or medical procedures. We have members of our church family for whom this has been a summer of mourning and grief. In all of these, I can say that as your pastor, it has been a summer of prayer.
In his letters to various churches, the apostle Paul consistently begins by lifting up prayers of thanksgiving for the saints to whom he is writing. Whether he is writing to Christians just coming to faith, a church needing encouragement, or a congregation mired in conflict, Paul gives thanks for the faith of those who call upon the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. In doing so, Paul sets a wonderful example for Christians in all places to follow. When I read Paul’s words concerning his thanksgiving and prayers for others, I usually find myself spending a good bit of time in prayer for St. Jacob’s.
As some of you know, I like to begin my week in prayer for our church family. One ritual is to take the Sunday worship bulletin and pray for those on our various prayer lists. One by one, the names of people who are sick, recovering or home bound stand out. I pray for the various friends and family members who are not members of our congregation but listed as those needing continual prayer. It’s humbling to know that, even as we pray for others we do not know, through faith, our prayers are heard and received by our Father in heaven.
Another prayerful activity I enjoy is going through our church directory and simply praying for church family members whose names randomly come to the forefront. I sincerely believe that as I look through the listing of families, God calls me to pray for certain individuals or families for whatever circumstances they may be experiencing. Sometimes, I will send a card to those for whom I pray so they know their pastor prayed for them. Sometimes, people will tell me that the card came at just the right time; that they really needed to know someone prayed for them. For this reason, it is important that we keep up our relationships with our prayer partners.
I think that in this summer of prayer, the thing I have enjoyed most is knowing how many St. Jacob’s church family members, and members of congregations in my past, have prayed for me. This summer has brought challenges to my health that I had never foreseen coming. Like many people to whom I have ministered, I find myself facing the realization that our bodies do not last forever, and that they truly do need the care and attention of those whom God has gifted for medical procedures.
Needless to say, I’m likely not the most agreeable patient, and I truly don’t like sharing such personal information. But in order to practice what I have preached for nearly twenty years, I have softened my stance and learned that there is no weakness in asking for prayer. In fact, it takes great strength to open up and solicit the prayers of the faithful.
I’m thankful for the blessing of being your pastor, and in the words of St. Paul, I give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in my prayers. Thank you also to the many who have prayed for me. We are all blessed with the gift of God’s love, especially as we share his love with one another, giving thanks in all circumstances for the grace God makes available through his son Jesus Christ. As always, I will continue to keep you in my prayers.
Grace and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
