Prayer is so much more than a ‘to do’ list for God

August 25, 2016

A few weeks ago on Facebook, Barb Shaw asked the question: “What are the top three issues or problems in our community?”

Some of the responses were underemployment, access to health services, especially for mental health, addiction and teen pregnancy, lack of affordable recreational activities for youth, the high cost of living, hydro, food, etc. As you can see there are way more than three issues plaguing our community.

Over the last several months I have been made painfully aware of these many issues; if you were to ask anyone living in rural Ontario you would find these same issues being named. Now let’s take it nationally, and globally and you would add to these issues, safe drinking water, food supplies, discrimination, prejudice, war, greed, and the list goes on.

As a Christian minister I feel compelled to work in the Spirit of Christ to redeem these struggles in our community and even to “the uttermost parts of the earth.” But it feels like I’m trying to bail out a cruise ship with an eye-dropper – fruitless and daunting to say the least.

For me tackling any task begins with prayer that “God’s realm would come and that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.” For others of you it might be a longing, or an ache, or a rage against the darkness.

In an effort to start the healing with prayer I am offering an opportunity for all of us to be of one mind – to join a collective longing for a world made new by writing your prayer on a piece of cloth that will be part of an art installation along the York River in the style of the Tibetan prayer flags. Flags are available for purchase from St. Paul’s United Church by calling 613-332-1900, or at A Place for the Arts, or Lakeside Gems. They will be on sale next Wednesday and Thursday afternoon at Dairy Queen.

You have until Sept. 2 to purchase your flag as they will go up on the September long weekend. The cost for each flag is $5 with proceeds going to both Social Justice without Borders and St. Paul’s United Church.

Rev. Lynn Watson