To honor the fifty years of prayers that have soaked Joy Lutheran Church, we are hosting what we are calling “A Sweet Hour of Prayer” on Saturday, October 25th , the day before our celebration. We are planning five hours of prayer, one for each decade of our ministry. The sanctuary will be set up with a variety of prayer stations, including laying on of hands and anointing with oil, prayer with icons, lighting of candles, reading of selected prayers, walking the labyrinth meditation and music. (Pr Sean has volunteered to play the last hour of the prayer time.) You can sign up for your hour (or hours) on the wall outside the sanctuary.
The highlight will be praying with prayer cards that gather the prayers of the congregation. Over the next few weeks, we encourage you to write prayers for our church, for our community, for the world and for all personal concerns, be they for surgery, for healing from sickness or emotional trauma. Let them be prayers of joy also for what we are doing in our ministry and prayers of praise for what God is doing among us. All prayers are welcome. Each hour from 12:00-5:00 these cards will be handed out and prayed with.
Cards will be laid out in the narthex beginning today (Oct. 5th). Please take time to fill them out and leave them in the basket provided. And consider setting time aside on Saturday afternoon the 25th to pray in the sanctuary together and reflect on where we have been, where we are and where God is calling us.