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Friends in Christ:
I am writing to Michigan authorized ministers who are engaged in parish and organizational ministries. This Holy Week is a busy time of special services, observances and preparations. You will encounter many people, some of whom are new to your setting and others who you have not seen for some time. All of them will be seeking a variation on the message that in the midst of shadows there is light, in the midst of sadness there is joy, in the midst of despair there is hope, and in the midst of death there is new life. The Good News that we proclaim shares that light joy, hope and abundant life. Thus, I want to offer this prayer for you and your important ministry this week:
Gracious God, I give you thanks for the gift of life; and I give you special thanks for the gift of Jesus Christ whose final earthly days we recall again this Holy Week. I give thanks for the authorized ministers of the United Church of Christ in Michigan who have special pastoral roles in being present to those seeking new life in Christ. I pray that your Spirit will sustain them in their worship leadership, their community presence and in their missional outreach. Bless them with a profound sense of the divine in their lives so that even with their busy schedules and hectic preparations they can "be still and know that you are God." May they also experience the great joy of Easter hope and love that will help them always to find "a way out of no way." I pray this prayer in the name of the One who was among us as one who served, and who continues to call us to follow, even Jesus Christ our Risen Savior. Amen.
With you on the journey,
Campbell Lovett
Conference Minister
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