Pastor’s Pen | January 2024

On the first Sunday in Advent, the start of the Christian new year, we began praying together this Prayer of Discernment:   

God of the universe, make our hearts porous. In spite of everything—the confusion, the chaos, the uncertainty of this present time— open our eyes, as if for the first time, that we might experience the awe and wonder of your world.  

(In silence, we pray for porous and awe-filled hearts.) 

God of the universe, soften the callouses on our hearts. Drive despair away and weave yourself in between the cracks in our spirits to plant hope. And from this sprout of hope, grant us imagination and energy to join you in creating a more trustworthy and loving world. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

But why do we pray a “Prayer of Discernment” in worship every Sunday? It’s not part of the “typical” pattern of worship. What’s the value? Why are we doing this? 

At the heart of our “Prayer of Discernment "is an invitation for us to become curious about God’s role in our lives despite all that worries and frustrates us. And in 2024, we are praying for porous hearts and for vision to experience the wonder of God’s world around us.  As I observe, many Christian people live their everyday lives without imagining that God is present, active and leading us to be the people we are called to be. Our “Prayer of Discernment” is intentional time we set aside in our corporate worship to pay attention to the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit and then align ourselves and our actions with God’s ultimate desire of a whole and reconciled world.  

We cannot join God in the adventure of creating a more trustworthy and loving world without first consulting God, can we? So, we pray. We discern. We practice listening for the voice of God. How is God speaking? What are we learning about God’s hope for our shared life and ministry? Praying for discernment is an act of embracing trust. Trust that the Holy Spirit is leading us and calling us forward.  

Praying with you, 
Pastor Beth