Dear Friends,
Last week I published the first part of an article my wife, Karen, had written for Canby UMC. In that article she tells how she has been living into the idea of practicing positive affirmations in her own life. Then she continues, that God had directed her thoughts “toward positive words of affirmation about our life together as a community of faith.” As a result Karen began praying affirmations for their congregation.
I’ve written some that I am praying over our congregation as well. Karen’s were very similar to these.
· We are a lighthouse of love, healing and hope.
· We value authenticity: sharing life-- laughing, weeping, learning, and praying together.
· We practice real communication.
· We share Jesus with our lives, words and acts of service.
· We are a place of love, hope and joy.
· We follow the prompts of God’s Holy Spirit.
· We welcome those who hunger for God and spiritual substance.
· We are seeing homeless teens housed.
· We openly invite others to join our community of faith.
· We meet together regularly in unlikely places.
· The world sees God at work in our lives.
· We make space for questions and are open to answers from the wisdom of God’s word and the life journeys of others who follow Christ.
· We experience God’s presence in our lives.
As Pastor Karen at Canby UMC has been living into similar affirmations for Canby and praying daily, God began to answer. One of her affirmations was about how “we welcome those who hunger for God.” And on Monday, this week, God brought a miracle. A man came to the door with his cousin. The man was seeking to baptized. Today. Karen wrote: “I heard a bit of his story and then I put on my robe and stole. We lit candles and Marilyn, (her admin), was the congregation. I baptized him. He’s been longing for this for 50 years. What a glorious gift to be part of God’s work in the world and in his life.”
Who knows who God wants to reach or touch through us?
Would you begin to pray these affirmations or write others that connect for you?
Let’s join in this adventure of living in the present and being willing to share what God reveals to you through it!
Thanks for being adventurers in this journey!
Brian