 St Alban’s Episcopal Church Bolivar, Missouri Wednesday, March 30, 2022 Intercession You do not need words – simply hold these – and so many others – before God   Many of you have dogs you love – This is the very weak, declining pet of Myrlene and Jim Suntken. She is elderly, can’t get up, isn’t eating but seems to be in no pain. Still, it is hard to watch the process, even as they sit with her, love her and she acknowledges their affection. Can you pray for animals to die peacefully? Why not? She too, is beloved as is all of creation. And surely you can ask God to give to those who love her. Deann Megonnell and Debra Beal report that Lowell Korber, their dad, is possibly moving to hospice care. He seemed to be doing really well, but the neurologist says his brain isn’t reminding him to breathe. They will see the cardiologist tomorrow and Do please remember all four of Lowell’s daughters who are the decision-makers, the doctors and all others who are involved in his care. And Lowell himself, who is so happy to be at his senior living facility in Lincoln. And I ask your prayer for Becca Cox and her family. Most of you know that sixteen year old Sarah has mental illness and the risky behaviors that often accompany that. She is in temporary custody of the juvenile justice dept. at Becca’s request, as a way to facilitate getting her into long-term treatment. But this is hard on Becca, who feels as if she’s failed her daughter. And Sarah’s behavior has caused insecurity and anxiety for her other children. Please pray for the right people to come into Sarah’s life to facilitate healing, for institutions and processes that seem maddeningly slow, for peace and confidence for Becca and the other children. Pray also for all foster and adoptive parents who are feeling helpless and unsupported by a society that sees the children they are parenting as unworthy, insignificant. Pray for teachers, social workers, therapists, juvenile justice system personnel. More concerns for prayer Please hold the medically frail, chronically ill, and elderly members of our congregation – some of whom are, as Ruth Lewis says “dwindling.” Pray for the Rev Larry Lewis who wants so much to reach his 90th birthday and to celebrate it in St Louis, for Ted and Elaine Yarmouth, for Melody Adams and for Michelle Morgan. Remember also Jill McGahey now in Nevada, and feeling alone, and Kim Moudy who hasn’t been able to come be with us because of the demands of getting her assisted riding program up and running. Pray also for Michael Elliott, traveling in Belgium this week, and for Ryan Williams, who is balancing work, husbanding and fathering, finishing his BKSM classes and and preparing for the diocesan ordination exams this summer. Please ask God’s blessing on the people of Christ Church, Springfield; St James, Springfield; St Phillips, Joplin and Grace Church, Carthage as all four of these congregations are beginning the process of finding new clergy. I ask your prayers for the Rt. Rev. Diane Bruce, our bishop provisional as she guides us through these days, for the Standing Committee, all other committees of the diocese, for the diocesan staff, and the members of the General Convention delegation who are preparing for the meeting in July. Hold in your heart the leaders of each of the Anglican provinces who are at Lambeth in England right now – including our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. I ask your prayers for the leaders of our country, especially President Biden, and for President Putin of Russia, and President Zelensky of Ukraine. It is good to hold all of these men before God for his guidance, and good to remember that however evil President Putin is showing himself to be – and he is – he, too, is in the hand of God, and may yet be reconciled to truth and to goodness, to God. And remember refugees, for soldiers and civilians, for the bereaved, for the terrified, for those providing food and shelter to the displaced; and for those who will die in this invasion even tonight. And carry the concerns of all of our children, all families, and all who call St. Alban’s, home – and for those who do not yet sense the invitation to come and see…that we will be increasing unafraid to invite them to do so! |
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