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Prayer Walk
Pastor Maria and the Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices led the Vision Board in a prayer walk yesterday evening. We essentially walked around the perimeter of the church with open eyes, open ears, to see what God is up to in our neighborhood. We were invited to stop along the way, as we felt nudged to do so and when we stopped we would pray. I will confess I wasn't sure how this would go. Don't get me wrong, I completely trust Pastor Maria's leadership, but I've never done this before and why was I suddenly going to feel nudged to stop as I walked in a space that I drove through every day.
Surprisingly, I felt nudged to stop a number of times. In fact, I saw the neighborhood a little differently than I have before. As we stopped and looked over at the strip malls across the street, we talked about the students who attended the Anoka Hennepin Schools, prayed for them, and their teachers. We noticed the way that Margie's has brought some new life and a place of connection for people, recognized the intersections that were both busy and those that were quiet. In this, we prayed for people zooming past, and those whose life seemed quiet and yet, we were aware of our own members, as well as neighbors living nearby who had overcome trauma from house fires, health concerns, and more.
As we conversed over dinner, our teams made note that the prayer walk was different than we expected, and wondered about transferring this practice to our own neighborhoods. What would happen if we slowed down for a moment- to look and reflect on the ways our neighborhoods have changed throughout the years, the movement of our neighbors, and recognized God's presence in it all. Perhaps this week as you move in a place that is familiar, you might join us in moving a little slower and paying attention to where God is already at work. Might you pray for those seen and unseen that they might feel God's love and presence.
Blessings,
Pastor Joanna Mitchell
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