"In this blueprint for living
From the word that touched the earth
Round this house we plant a Garden
God's grace is our rebirth
Lend your voice in celebration
Lend your hand in lifting up
This is the day of creation
Built on the cornerstone of Love"
Blueprints by Peter Mayer and Jim Mayer
Last night the online newspapers started reporting the
results of a study on prayer recently released in the American Heart Journal.
You can read the abstract of the text HERE.
It's rather heady stuff for discussions about matters of the
heart and soul.
The headline in The New York Times reads, "Long Awaited
Medical Study Questions the Power of Prayer. Click HERE to read.
I remember making plaster of paris plaques in Vacation
Bible School which read, "Prayer Changes Things." While the plaques
did not come with any official guarantee or contain results of scientific
studies, I trust they proclaimed the truth. And while I fully appreciate
scientific affirmation of what people of faith do, part of the operative term
in all of this is the word "faith." It's great to have collaboration
with the scientific community, but a big issue in all of this is related to the
command, "pray without ceasing," (I Thessalonians 5:17). We
pray because that's what God has invited us to do.
Peter sings,
"Lend your voice in celebration
Lend your hand in lifting up"
I believe that Peter is calling us to sing, to pray and to
also literally help "lift up" people who have been brought down by
events in their lives. I believe that prayer not only changes things, it
changes the pray-er and the pray-ee (the person prayed for). And while this study may or may not prove the efficacy of prayer, I
know the effects of prayer first hand. In fact, it is all in God's hands.
The ELCA has a great resource online regarding prayer. Check it out: http://www.elca.org/prayer/
I'm praying for you today and ask that you pray for me, too.
Peace,
rtg
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