Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost- Week of September 26, 2021

Begin your devotion time by praying this prayer: Compassionate God, you are always with us. Remind us of your presence and give us the courage to open our hearts to you. Amen.

Reflect on the Way of Love together: This week’s practice on the Way of Love is PRAY. What prayers have you prayed in the last week? How do you pray?

Adult and Small Child

Read: James 5:13-20

Reflect: We can pray about anything. In the Letter of James, the author says we can pray when we’re sad or when we’re happy, when we’re sick or when we’re well, for ourselves or for other people. We can say “please,� “help,� “thank you,� or anything else. There are no rules about when we pray, what we pray about, or even how we do it. In fact, anything can be a prayer. We may be used to praying with words in church, at bedtime, or at meals. But, the Book of Common Prayer defines prayer as “responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words.� (p. 856) That’s a big definition, and it means that anything can be a prayer. What matters most is that you do it in a way that feels right and honest for you.

Respond: Make a list together of different ways to pray. There’s a lot of room in the definition, so don’t be afraid to get creative. What actions can be prayers? Do you prefer traditional church words or the way you talk every day? Can you pray for someone by dancing? Can you give thanks by flying a kite? Once you have a list, choose a few to practice over the next week.

- Drew Bunting

Adult and Elementary

Read: James 5:13-20

Reflect: This Scripture passage asks us to pray, no matter the situation. It’s sometimes confusing to me that, whether I am having a great day or a challenging day, praying to God is the first step. I wonder how two opposite situations require me to take the same action.

Respond: Say a prayer! Tell God about your day. Is it a great day or a challenging day? Are you having a great day and want to say “thank you?� If today is a challenging day, maybe you would like to ask for comfort. Perhaps you need help deciding what you should do next.

- Lindsay Gottwald

Adult and Youth

Read: James 5:13-20

Reflect: In this reading from James, we look at prayer. James tells us that, in everything we do, we should pray. When we are happy, sad, or sick... we should pray. One of the most important ways our faith is connected to life is through prayer. James even calls us to pray with others, and not just alone. He also gives us an example of the power of prayer through the prophet Elijah. Elijah accomplished great things through prayer. Remember, prayer is a powerful act of our faith and we should not neglect it or ignore it.

Respond: What’s the one thing that makes prayer so difficult for you? We often forget to thank God when something good happens or when we are happy. Most times, we look to God when we are upset or in need of something. Look to this week to spend time in prayer each day, even if only for 5 minutes. Remember to thank God for the good things that happen each day and to pray for those in need as well. Think about one person in your life each day that might benefit from your thoughts and prayers.

- Lauren Wainwright

Adult and Adults

Read: James 5:13-20

Reflect: If you do a search for commentaries about this text, you’ll see hundreds about the power of prayer - and indeed, there IS power in prayer. But there’s another piece of this text and that’s the emphasis on community. We’re not called to prayer solely in isolation; elders are told to pray over and anoint the sick. We’re called to confess our sins to one another and to pray for one another. And we’re reminded that in community, we’re called to hold one another accountable when we “wander from the truth.� A community that is created around commitment to the Way of Love is one that is committed to one another, supportive of one another in all things. Imagine a community so beloved to one another that when one is sick, they gather together to anoint them with oil and pray over them, simply to provide comfort. A community so that one is feeling lost or confused, they fearlessly reach out to another of the community for help. A community that when one has “wandered� the others are able to kindly, gently, lovingly reach out to them for “reorientation� to the Way. James is telling us that as we approach God in prayer for anything and everything, the community we develop around us is the one that is the hands of God in the world.

Respond: When you think about prayer in your community, does it feel communal like you are all in it together or is it in isolation? Are there moments that spur you to action on behalf of the community? How aware are you of what the others in your community are praying for? This week, take one step to connect yourself to another member of the community through an act of prayer, then consider what you can do as an action beyond prayer to support them.

- Regina Heater