A Prayerful Experience

I experienced a unique prayer opportunity this past Tuesday. I belong to the St. Timothy's prayer group which means I receive prayer requests from our faith community and include them in my daily prayer practice. One of the other things the prayer group does is send a representative to the church's monthly Vestry meeting. The Vestry in the Episcopal Church is like the Presbyterian Session or the Methodist Church Board...they are the elected members of the congregation who assist the Rector in running the business of the church. These were my instructions from Bev:
"The vestry meets in the chapel where the prayer group gathers.
Arrive a little early…grab a chair and find a comfortable spot a bit away from the
meeting…or sit in a nearby Sunday School room.If you need help getting
settled…ask Karen Voss or one of the clergy.
Bring along a Bible,
Prayer Book or other God-centered reading. Invite God’s presence and guidance at
the meeting and then you can read for a while. I especially enjoy reading the
evening prayer and Compline services at vestry meetings."

I wondered if it would feel strange to be there sort of 'lurking' outside the meeting, but still within earshot. It didn't feel weird at all; I felt very engaged even though I really couldn't hear much of the discussion. I could tell when they would begin a new topic and each time I would pray for God to support them and guide their decisions. I did read both the Vespers and the Compline services in the Book of Common Prayer; I also prayed for each individual member of the group to be open to God's words for them. It felt like I was a intimate part of the gathering with an important gift to offer.

I couldn't help but think how comforting it would be to have someone praying for me during the painful meetings that I both attend and preside over at work. While I always ask God for guidance, I would feel so strengthened by the prayers of another during those stressful times.

This is a little story that Bev included in her email instructions:

"Prayer Representative at Vestry Meetings: When my little grandson, Benjamin, was 3 years old he would put a stuffed animal in the doorway of his bedroom before he jumped into bed. When I asked my son about this he said that Benjamin was afraid of wolves but when he posted a stuffed animal there by the door to watch and protect him from the wolves he was able to sleep peacefully. This is kind of like a prayer representative at a vestry meeting. We go and pray and watch and ask God to join us in watching and to provide protection and guidance. There is more peace for everyone knowing that there is a team there watching and protecting against wolves and other bad dogs that might be lurking."