Joy and thanksgiving on beautiful paper! What you see above are your prayers of gratitude.

At the June 8 assembly you were invited to bring prayers of thanksgiving forward after the sermon, written on small squares of origami paper. I took them home and put them in a jar, praying your thanksgivings with you.

I expected it to be fun. I didn’t expect to be so moved that tears came to my eyes.

Opening each prayer turned out to be an opportunity to acknowledge the generous working of God in the lives of others. It was like looking at a meadow full of different wildflowers. When we are thankful for these gifts that are dear to us, we hold them close to our hearts, and that means we attend to them and we tend them. Caring for the gifts we have received from God is at the heart of stewardship.

Thank you for the privilege of sharing your prayers.

~ Michelle

Coming Up: In a month or two you can expect to see newsletters and other resources for nurturing the joy of your congregation as they steward all the gifts and resources you have been given for your ministry, from skills and vocations to buildings and finances.

Feel free to write with ideas: mjbartel@gmail.com

And write or call (812-292-0950) if you’d like to join me in this work!