The landscape of ministry is being re-shaped. Are we ready?
FEATHER:
Almighty One, Creator God, today we lift our prayer and offering to you in this the month of Opawastakansis (“Wind Clearing Moon” in Plains Cree). As softly as the snowdrifts and the ice crystals move across the snow pack, so too does your hand in our world of Creation. Change and movement are ever before us, but we do not always see because of the rush and roar around and before us. We ask that your Spirit of peace and truth move us to humble ourselves, so that we might seek to change that which only we can control—ourselves—in our heart and ministry. Walk with us that we might be guided back onto the good road that we might again walk in the footsteps of your Son Jesus Christ, whose ministry by example and prayer witnessed peace and forgiveness, and who prayed that we might be one in the body and family of faith. Today, bless us that we might be a blessing to all before us, humble us that we might not judge others and guide us that we might walk in truth. Accept these our prayers; in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
This month, readers, I ask your prayers for the church and its witness. Pray for our bishops and clergy seeking to do more with less and for the changes and transitions within the church family, that we might be better witnesses of faith than we were yesterday and the day before that.
SAGE:
February brings to mind the wind-driven ice crystals as they flow across the hard-packed snow. There is a special sound that is made when it does, and so “Wind Clearing Moon” is an appropriate name for this month, calling to mind the wind moving through the trees, blowing the frost off the branches, polishing the exposed ice on the creeks and lakes—and the wind of change reshaping the landscape of our ministry, clearing the way for change.
As Christians we are too often afraid of change and transition, I believe because we like the comfort of familiarity and stead-fastness. But the breath of the Holy Spirit is ever on and in our ministry. Change happens because the Holy Spirit is alive and moving in and before us, as we see if we but slow down and take the time to listen and not speak so much. The Creator wants a personal relationship with us. If we could just allow for the Spirit to blow across the landscape of our hearts and lives, to change us, reshape us and polish us, just as the wind uses snow and ice crystals to clear and polish the world around us! We as Creation need to change, to be perfected as the seasons change. We as people of faith need to change and humble ourselves, so that we might bring peace and truth to our ministry, just as the ice crystals polish and the snow fills in and smooths out the trail, clearing the landscape of Creation.
Change is inevitable, Creation is in harmony with change, yet why do we struggle so? Is it because we cannot control change? Lord Almighty, humble us to change and accept change.
