Dear Incarnation,
We are continuing our series in 1 Timothy, and Sunday's passage (1 Tim 3:1-13) listed qualifications for church leaders — it's one of the reasons we chose to preach through 1 Timothy this fall, given all the leadership changes at Incarnation and in our Diocese. Katie knelt and prayed a litany based on the passage for our leadership, our new vestry, and our new bishop-elect (listen here). As she did, she invited us to add our own prayers for our leaders on post-its.
I loved this opportunity to not only hear the scripture, but to participate in the scripture in prayer. Those post-it prayers are a treasure; they name so many of the temptations and failures and hope and beauty of the church. I'm listing all of the prayers below (except for a few post-its we lost to the wind outside), and I invite you to join your prayers with these:
Safeguarding the most vulnerable in our congregation
Protect the hearts of our leaders
Protect the minds of our leaders
Respect for women
Humility
Concern for the well-being of individual souls more than for the institution
Welcoming and open
Admitting our wrongs and seeking reconciliation and redemption
For joy and delight and moments of wonder as they encounter the church
For humble servants
For conviction and integrity
For shepherds who lead together and resist selfish/self-focused decision making
Help them love you and your people more than any institution or their own power
That we would be motivated by love and compassion rather than pursuit of worldly success or ego
Thank you for Amy, Katie, and Liz
That we will grow by calling new disciples of Jesus, enfolding them into our fellowship
That we would be faithful to the work that you have for us
That we would be obedient and loving in our action
May our leaders shine with your love and demonstrate your grace and mercy
Humility
Wisdom
Prioritizing the vulnerable
Level-headed
Integrity and faithfulness
Servants and stewards
Heal the wounds of all who lead
That we will love each other as Jesus loves us
For a shepherd who smells like their sheep
Intimacy with Jesus Christ and united with him
Shepherd the flock under their care
Humble servant
For our diocese to keep our leaders accountable even when it is inconvenient
For our leaders to always be above reproach
Give our leaders at Incarnation faith in your calling
Give them rest mentally and physically
Quick to listen, quick to speak, slow to become angry
Generous with the gospel
Give them joy
May our leaders find their joy and their being in you, God
Humble
May they seek God and the truth!
Gentleness, humility, faithfulness, encouragement, endurance
Lead and love the church
Wary of power
Be humble
Self-control
Faith and faithfulness in what their calling is
Humility
Protection from envy
Feel embraced
Seek good of the church
Endurance in challenge
God, give our church unity, generosity, clarity of mission, gentleness, humility, joy, and the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit
Freedom from the rigidity of the patriarchy
Protection of the most vulnerable
Spirit of inclusivity
Health in every sense
Protect the flock from being scattered
For the church to acknowledge and lament where it has caused harm and contributed to systems of oppression
For leaders to be people off compassion, peace, justice, and God's love
Holy Spirit, give us the ability to love the people of the church when we are tempted to protect the institution alone
Listen to women
Lord, we thank you for raising up leaders among us. Help us to continually pray for those in leadership and those you are raising up for leadership in the future
Inclusion
Selflessness, compassion, wisdom
Endurance and temperance
Build a safe place for people to make friends and learn about God
I pray for the churches whose leadership were preparing for possibly losing their rector and are transitioning, and for Chris Warners's church who must now begin their search for a new rector
For sober mindedness
For purity in heart, mind, soul, and body
For wisdom in the ordering of our common life
Let us give up our pride
Protection
Health
Connection
Wisdom
Seek God's will
Known for gentle love
Peaceful and smooth transition
Lord, bring healing through your leaders
Let our leaders be grafted in you, the True Vine
Lift our eyes on you instead of taking pride in earthly positions
Pray for the church to avoid the pitfalls of US and global politics
Lord, make us more like you in our leading and fellowship
Give us strength to deal with the iniquities of our leaders
Humility
Grounded
Present
Free us from the demons that try to control our actions
I pray that the leaders would have supernatural humility and empathy for the people who look to them for spiritual guidance
I pray they would have joy partnering with you in the work you're doing in others' lives
A safe place where people are welcomed and experience the love of God
Genuine love of weakness and respect for it
Unite our church, keep it strong and healthy
Help us to forgive each other for our shortcomings
Lord, be present and place your Spirit in our community
COURAGE (internally and in dealing with others)
Let them be gentle, faithful, humble
Quick to listen, slow to speak
Forgiveness
Strength
Lord, thank you for your Spirit that leads us with gentleness and generosity
Time and space for grief — theirs especially but also everyone in the church
Tenderness in how they treat themselves and others
May they be as selfless and loving and faithful as Jesus Christ
That our leaders may lead with wisdom and gentleness, and that we may follow with faithfulness and humility, we pray to you, Jesus, our Good Shepherd over all your beloved sheep. AMEN.
Free them from self
Give them wisdom
Protect us
Wisdom please
Keep and protect our leaders, keep and protect us
A justice-full peace
That the church would be a welcoming place to all our neighbors
Please give our leaders your eyes, your heard, your mind and strength
That the church would be a place of hope for those that have little
Give grace, give strength, give hope that our leaders may give freely these same gifts
Give them courage to tell the truth and protect the weak and vulnerable
May our leaders seek God first
Protect their marriages if they are married
We mourn the dead but rejoice with the living
Father God, please raise up and equip true Shepherd Leaders. Amen
That we would acknowledge the harm we've caused and repent of those things. To be humbled.
Several people also drew their prayers: a sheep, a torn and bandaged heart, a seedling, and two companions of different complexions walking hand-in-hand. The most common prayer was humility, followed closely by protection. To all these prayers, to Katie's litany, and to the prayers prayed in silence, we simply say: Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Thank you for being a praying church. Thank you for praying for me, for Katie, for our staff and vestry, for our new bishop-elect Chris Warner, and for all in church leadership. May we lead humbly. May we protect the flock. May God protect us. Amen.
Much love,
Amy