A PERSONAL PRAYER

God of Grace and God of Glory,

I stand in awe of the way you as the Holy Spirit have worked, breathing life in and through St. Luke’s church for the past 75 years. I looked again at the pictures of those early days – women in hats and men in fashionably short ties, all full of dreams and hopes and visions. Children with white gloves and Sunday School teachers standing tall and beaming beside them. But I suspect even they had no idea what you had in mind for this particular community of followers of your son.

I stand in awe of the leaders of this church over these decades, women and men, laity and pastors, who trusted you through so many obstacles and opportunities, times of excitement, and times of real social challenge. The wisdom and courage of those leaders are both humbling and inspiring.

It is not enough for the leaders of today to say thank you, either to you or to them, but rather to hear the words of 2 Timothy: “Guard the treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.”

God, I pray today for your church at work in this place, just a group of ordinary people trying to be obedient to your calling. God, we know we will get it wrong sometimes, as we have in the past. But you use us anyway, and you work miracles. In the days, years, and decades ahead, may we continue to be faithful, and please use us as you see fit, until that day when you make your perfect will complete and finish your new creation. Amen