ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
December 18, 2021
Yesterday, Cypress Creek Christian Church hosted an Advent Service for the Coastal Plains Area of our denomination. The Rev. Peggy Edge preached what I would describe as her retirement sermon, though I’m certain she will still preach. The service concluded with a reception to honor her. For many, and I include myself among them, her specific work in the Regional Church and the gifts she brought to that work will be missed. Rev. Andy Mangum, our Regional Minister, was in attendance. He had emailed me a week earlier and asked if I would have an hour to talk prior to the service. We sat in my office, shared some stories, I provided updates on Cypress Creek, and I heard some good things happening in the Region. As we concluded our time, Andy asked if he could pray for me. I accepted, and for the next two or three minutes, I was swept into an experience of the holy. I was baptized with words of grace and expressions of encouragement. It was really quite powerful, and something nourishing from which I will be able to feast for quite some time. In Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, he wrote: “Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the teachings of Christ.” Advent is always a busy time, and Cypress Creek has a lot happening these days, but it was as if Andy’s prayer provided some additional help in carrying the weight which I had been struggling to bear. Praying, not simply for people, but with people can be an immense gift, a true coming alongside another and sharing in whatever it is that burdens their soul.
Thank you for the gift of prayer, Holy One. Allow it to be a conduit through which we not only connect more deeply with you, but also those with whom we pray. Amen.
