– submitted by Lori Borger
This morning during Sunday Bible study, your faces all appeared before me with new meaning. As we contemplated the obstacles to our Christian prayer and God’s incredible graces in that prayer, I was overcome by emotion. All at once, it dawned on me how much I miss your faces! Not your faces in terms of the ones I can still see on my screen, but your faces that are connected to your bodies, your voices, your hearts. Hugs and longer conversations, the breaking of bread together. It gave name to the despair that I had been feeling all week. I recognized the loss that I’m experiencing- the loss of the physical presence of the Body of Christ! My despair is a mourning. But as in all mourning, it is “good mourning” (to quote Pastor Mangelsdorf), for that mourning also contains a deep gratitude for all that the Body of Christ at St. Peter means- the prayers that we lift up for each other and the continual way that we guide each other to see “the things” that Luke spoke of as our story. So dear friends, until we meet again, I will hold you close in prayer as people who have hope and burning hearts. With deep thanksgiving!
Amen, Lori Since I am in Georgia, this has enabled me to worship with the St. Peter family. I know this is a different perspective for me as I miss my âhomeâ church of many years.
Marcia Semenak
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Several weeks ago, I found myself grieving and praying through my grief. The verse came to mind, “Do not grieve as the Gentiles do who have no hope…” Reading this tonight reminded me of that, of the need to remember Hope…