Powerful Prayer

Do you miss us?  We miss you!  It was great to see many people at Reading Pride this past Sunday – but it does make us miss worshiping with one another.  We hope to see you this Sunday at 1 pm for our worship service.  (Thanks to Incarnation Lutheran for welcoming our parishioners to their 9 am service last week).

 

Also welcome to our weekly newsletter for those who signed up at Reading Pride, we hope you enjoy the newsletters and click on the links to find out more about All Souls and ECC.  We welcome to to worship with us!

 

Please take the time to read the articles and information in this week’s “GOOD NEWS” including a change with our prayer list. Feel free to forward this newsletter to a family member or friend, or share it on your facebook page or twitter by using the “like” and “share” icons at the top of the page.

This weeks readings and question of the week:

Take time to mediate on God’s word and prepare for worship this Sunday.  And as you meditate on them, consider the Question of the Week: What are my “loaves and fish”?  What are the humble gifts I could place in Jesus’ hands this week to satisfy the hunger of my own family and friends, of others who, until I share, are strangers to me?

 

2 Kings 4:42-44

Psalm 145:10-19

Ephesians 3:14-21

John 6:1-15

 

 Ephesians 3: 15-20

 

I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

 

What a prayer that this week’s reading from Ephesians gives us!  It presents a moment of tenderness, in which the author speaks directly to his readers about his care for them. He speaks of his prayer for his readers, which he does on bended knee.

Essentially there are four matters for which the author prays for the sake of his readers that they may have:

  • inner spiritual strength
  • the indwelling of Christ in their hearts
  • the ability to comprehend all the dimensions of spiritual realities
  • knowledge of the love of Christ

This prayer is for the church and all believers. Not just one person.   Can this prayer be one that you pray each day for your fellow Christians, especially your Brothers and Sisters at All Souls?  YES – we also should pray for the unsaved and those that don’t know Christ.  But as we strengthen the church and one another it will give us more opportunities to reach others – so its important to pray for one another.

 

First, there is the matter of being strengthened (Ephesians 3:16). For most of us, we are strengthened and sustained by the witness of the company of believers with whom we worship. We are also strengthened by those who have gone before us – giving us scripture, songs, and witness which we celebrate during our worship time together.

 

Second, it is the indwelling of Christ in the hearts of the congregation where love is produced (Ephesians 3:17). Christ cannot be simply a concept or a memory. The risen and living Christ comes to us in Word and Sacrament, and he seeks to find hearts in which to dwell. Where he is, there is love.  We invite this each week at All Souls.

 

Third, it is in our life together as Christians that we find ever new vistas and insights into the vast world of God (Ephesians 3:18). If we have time to listen to one another, we discover stories of faith beyond our own. In conversations with others, listening to their prayers, and observing acts of kindness and generosity, we gain understandings of God and the world that we have not known before.

 

Finally, to know the love of Christ surpasses all other forms of our knowing (Ephesians 3:19). That is not to say that knowing other things is irrelevant for the Christian life. On the contrary, to know all we can about our world is important for living well. But to know the love of Christ is not something we can find out there “in the world.” Rather, it has been revealed to us by God, who sent his Son into the world. We celebrate that love whenever we gather for worship.

 

As you use the pray request list each day or week to pray for the specific needs of others; maybe add this prayer as well!

PRIDE FESTIVAL

THANK YOU to everyone who helped out at the

All Souls info booth and children’s activity booth.

  • We had so many volunteers it was great to see everyone!    THANK YOU!
  • And thanks to the RPC Committee and volunteers for making the event such as success!
  • Welcome to new friends that visited us at the booth and signed up for our newsletter – “Good News”

PRAYER SHEETS

 

We are a family of faith that believes in the power of prayer. We pray for each other; concerns of our friends and families; and we lay the issues of the world at God’s Feet.

 

To help us do this more efficiently – the weekly prayer request list will now be an insert in the bulletin.  You are always welcome to take the entire bulletin home to re-read the scriptures or reflect on other parts of the service.  However, if you don’t want to take the whole bulletin home – you can now very easily remove the prayer request insert and take it with you.  You can even write down any new prayer requests that are lifted up during the service.    Of course if you can’t make the service or you are one of our family or supporters that have moved away, you can always click on the “Prayer Request List” in the left column of the “Good News” each week to download and print out.

 

Please be encouraged and know that you do have prayer warriors on your side – lifting up praises of gratitude that are shared, but also praying for the sick, the weary, and those who have died.   We encourage you to seek a closer walk with God and pray daily!

UPDATE YOUR INFO!

We always want to be sure your information is up to date.  If you have moved, changes phone numbers, or use a new email address – let us know!   We have “contact information” sheets printed out in the Heritage Room during coffee hours, just cross out any old info, and put in the new info.   Or email any changes toallsoulsecc@gmail.com.   We are preparing new directories for this fall, so be sure to do this as soon as possible.

NORTH WEST MINISTERIUM
All Souls is part of the North West Ministerium; here are some local churches looking for help:
Hope Lutheran has a community meal and worship service every Tuesday from 5:30-6:30 Just show up – it is that easy.
Path of Holiness is collecting children’s clothing to send to El Salvador – there has been some devastation there recently and there is great need.
Have kids?: Hope Lutheran and Christ (Glenside) are having Vacation Bible School the first week of August – one is hosting in the morning, the other in the evening. Call them for more details.

How are you doing answering this  past week’s 
question of the week? 

What specific situation can I identify as needing me to bring a Christ-like presence this week? How can I do that?