Seeking Shalom...

Seek the shalom of the city to which I have carried you into exile.  Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.  Jeremiah 29:7

All too often, we jump to verse 29:11 skipping over the first ten verses.  Yes, God does have plans for us, plans to prosper us; plans to give us hope and a future.  But those plans cannot come to fruition in isolation.  Just as God became Incarnate in Jesus, so our leadership is to embody God's love in Christ IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

The challenge, of course, is to dream "big, HOLY, audacious goals" that are God-sized and Spirit-infused.  Over this next year, there will be opportunities to learn about a process developed by David Cooperrider called Appreciate Inquiry which is a means by which to dream God-sized dreams that result in shalom.  The process is fourfold: Define, Discover, Dream, Design.  The ultimate goal of an Appreciative Inquiry process is that "the Son of God, who is already formed in you, will grow in you-so that for you he will become immeasurable, and that in you, he will become laughter, exultation, and the fullness of joy which no one can take away from you" (Isaac of Stella).

Be on the lookout for an invitation to a summer day apart. In the meantime, I share with you the sermon preached by Paul Hooker at last Saturday's presbytery meeting. While we know him as the Executive Presbyter and Stated Clerk of Saint Augustine Presbytery, as well as a member of the new Form of Government task force, he is first and foremost a love of God and God's word.  His work in Old Testament studies is reflected in his sermon.  Enjoy!  And join me in praying for the shalom of the cities to which God has carried us.

In Christ,

Holy Habit: Seeking Shalom through Prayer Walking

Shalom... peace, wholeness... God's desire for both us and the communities of which we are a part.  Over the next couple of weeks commit yourself to a series of prayer walks around your community as a means of aligning yourself with Christ and his desires for your community.  Ask yourself how might recognizing Jesus' presence in your community in a more intentional way reorient your interaction.  Pray for the people, businesses.

How do you see the heart of God for your community?

Volunteers Needed for

2012 Upcoming Wings

Prison Parties - OH   

(Prison parties are generally from 12:30 - 3:30 on Saturday afternoons.  The only exception is the Cleveland, OH Women's facility - North East Pre-Release Center Party, and it will be Thursday night from 5:00 - 8:00 PM.)

Grafton Correctional Institution-

Cleveland, OH

Men's prison

June 23, 2013- Saturday        

Volunteer deadline:  June 1   

SW of Cleveland

Chaplain Ron Smith

2500 South Avon Belden Road

Grafton, OH 44044

440-748-5746

Southeastern Correctional Institution-

Lancaster, OH

Men's prison

Dec. 1, 2012 - Saturday         

Volunteer deadline:  Nov. 1

Please go to the following secure link and enter the data I need from you to get clearance from the prison.  Be sure to list the prison party you'd like to volunteer for on the form.  THANKS!

http://wingsministry.org/PDFfiles/VolunteerApplication.pdf