When the Community Carries One Another

 On Sunday, November 16th, we gathered our prayers in a week marked by both relief and ongoing need, grateful for the ways this community shows up for one another.

• We give thanks for the end of the government shutdown, and we continue to hold Rebecca in prayer as she waits for her back pay to arrive. We ask for provision and patience in this time of financial uncertainty.
• We pray for Michele as she undergoes retina surgery this Thursday, asking for skilled hands, successful healing, and peace through the procedure and recovery.
• We hold Steve and his co-worker Tom in prayer as Tom grieves the death of his brother-in-law. We ask for comfort in this season of loss.
• We pray for safe travel for all whose children are coming home for Thanksgiving, asking for clear roads, smooth flights, and the joy of reunion.
• We give thanks for the PATH Fund and for Scott's faithful stewardship of this ministry. We rejoice that this community has been able to respond to many requests recently, including helping a client who was attacked by her ex-husband secure safe housing. We invite those who are able to support this vital work by writing a check to St. Paul's with "PATH Fund" in the memo line.

May we continue to be a community that bears one another's burdens, celebrates one another's joys, and trusts that God's provision flows through our willingness to show up for each other.

Holding Sorrow and Hope Together

Sunday, November 30th, we brought our prayers to God, naming the places where grief and gratitude intersect in our lives.

• We hold Larry and his wife Diane in prayer as they grieve the death of Diane's father Jim, who died this past Tuesday. We ask for strength to carry this loss and for comfort in the days ahead as the family gathers to remember him.
• We give thanks with Suzanne for good news: Ron's PSA numbers are down. We rejoice in this hopeful sign and continue to pray for his health and healing.
• We continue to hold the Quinlan family in prayer as Pat receives hospice care at home. We ask for peace in these tender days, and for the presence of love to surround them all.
• We pray for Warner's sister as she undergoes pregnancy tests, asking for clarity, health, and whatever outcome brings wholeness and blessing.

May these prayers rest in the God who holds us steady when sorrow and hope live side by side. In seasons of loss and seasons of healing, we are not alone.

Where Fear and Faithfulness Meet

This Sunday we gathered to name a truth that Mary herself knew: that God meets us when we are afraid, and calls us faithful even then.

• We give thanks for Amy, who is recovering from a brief hospital stay this week to address heart issues. We rejoice that she felt the prayers of this community holding her, even from a distance.
• We hold Amy's neighbor Judy in our prayers as she grieves the sudden loss of her husband Pat, who passed away this week on Judy's birthday. We ask for comfort in this season of raw sorrow, and for the presence of those who will sit with her in the weight of this loss.

May these prayers rest in the God who does not ask us to stop being afraid, but meets us in our fear and says, "I am with you." We are held.