The power of words spoken together.

Thursday evening I had the privilege of joining together with Rev. Amy Coles, Lindsay Snipes, and Christopher Hampton for their wedding rehearsal. It was the desire of Chris and Lindsay for the wedding to truly be a “service of worship” so they were very intentional about the parts and pieces they included.

Typically in a wedding rehearsal, we don’t walk through “all” the words, we just have an overview. The actual words are spoken at the ceremony. We were at the point in the service where we were declaring them “husband and wife” with the blessing and prayer and as I was sharing the words they’d chosen for the prayer I remembered, “Oh, yes. We are to say the Lord’s Prayer together.”

Something nudged me to actually go ahead and do that entire prayer, so we began. The wedding party was a little hesitant because we’d not really done an “entire part” of the service yet, so I imagine they were surprised that we’d do the prayer. But it seemed appropriate so Amy and I began the prayer and just a few seconds later, there was a unison voice saying, “Thy kingdom come . . . they will be done . . . . on earth as it is in heaven.”

As we continued, there was no mistaking the presence of God in the moment.

Surrounded by people, saying the same words, people caring about the same things (Lindsay and Chris). The unifying moment of the evening was the group prayer.

Prayer is a powerful opportunity we each have to give thanks, ask for help, and to connect to the Love that holds all the chaos, the joy, AND the difficulties together.

Prayer is as close for us as the very breaths we take . . .

It simply involves our actually being mindful of those breaths. As soon as we are, we are journeying into a prayer life that can be transformational!

We are all excited to celebrate the marriage of Lindsay and Chris tomorrow evening . . . and what a privilege it is to be a part of a service for a couple that really cares about the power that is given to each of us by God through prayer.

Here . . .

Thanks . . .

Sunday we will explore the word prayers, “Help”

and

“Please” . . .

I can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday.

“For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and glory forever. Amen.”