In response to Bishop Loya’s priority of Faithful Innovation, parishioners around the diocese are listening to God and their neighbors. Faith communities are engaging in small, low-cost experiments to learn more about what the Holy Spirit is up to in the lives of their neighbors, and trying new ways to join up with people Jesus loves who don’t go to church. Read about one such initiative below and consider how you might listen and respond to your neighbors.
by Dr. Richard (“Dick”) Guiton
There was no doubt that the Holy Spirit was encouraging me to do something. As I continued to pray about it, I felt led to start a prayer group and keep it simple.
Keeping it simple was the easy part! We had a chaplain at our senior living facility, but we were not the only campus he had. He alternated a bible study and traditional service. With his permission and the encouragement and logistic help of the staff here at Westwood Ridge, I started a weekly prayer service.
Those who showed up were from a variety of Protestant backgrounds. We have about six to eleven people who attend the Prayer Group. I assure them there is no requirement to pray out loud as many are not comfortable with that. We start our sessions with a reading that I select and I encourage others to bring a reading to share. I record the thanksgivings or request from each attendee. We then take a few moments for silent prayer for other residents and staff in the building. Then I pray for each of the requests. There is a time when others can pray out loud if they wish. We close with the Lord’s Prayer.
With time, attendees have developed trust in the group and added more specific requests for family issues, addictions, and economic problems. I’ve felt that I can ask staff and non-attendees if we can pray for them. Others have done the same. The Holy Spirit has asked us to take risks in this regard and so we have done so.
Some prayers have been answered almost immediately and we give thanks for that. Other issues such as family members with cancer are on the list as long as necessary. The staff are thankful for our petitions to our Heavenly Father.
We now have been meeting for a year and a half. It is now common for people to ask me in the hallway to pray for them.
Thank you Holy Spirit for the courage to risk, to share, to love You and each other.
