Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Letter writing campaign

Today’s Reading: Acts 4:23-24a (NIV)

23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.

Good morning!

My mother set the bar at letter writing. Every afternoon when I would walk through the open front door after school, my mother would be sitting on the sofa with her note pad and pen, writing down all the good news she could think of to share with her parents, who lived seven hundred miles away. She was faithful to write and send letters each week, not only to her parents and siblings, but to her in-laws and their siblings. Handwritten notes are personal; they take time and effort to craft. I have always preferred to type my letters out as opposed to handwriting them, because my penmanship is not what it used to be. If I have trouble reading what I write, I can presume the intended recipient will not be able to make out my chicken scratch either! Now, with the advances of email, instant messaging, and social networking sites, the art of letter writing has definitely evolved. I can connect with family, friends, and Christians from around the world in a matter of seconds, simply by joining an online chat.

A few weeks ago, I was up very early writing and praying online. A pastor from India invited me to pray with him using the instant messaging tool. We began to pray for our congregations in tandem; I would type a couple of lines and press send; and within seconds, I would receive his prayerful response. We prayed like this together for almost fifteen minutes. The power of the Holy Spirit was so incredibly real that my fingers were struggling to keep up with all the words of praise filling my heart and mind. It was as if he were sitting right across from me, holding my hand, as we lifted our people up to the Lord in prayer. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that links hearts and hands together, so that we might reach across oceans and miles and share the Good News with people all over the world in real time.

Peter and John were ecstatic when they were released from custody. They returned to their people and shared the Good News! How awesome it must have been when Luke first penned these incredible words. When everyone heard, they raised their voices in tandem and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord God Almighty. There is so much to be thankful for, especially in the struggles we face each day. We have a Savior who is with us always, no matter where we are or what is happening in our lives. If we are willing to trust Jesus completely, we know that no matter what happens today, He is large and in charge and we can stand firm on His Word. This is our virtual reality. We can encourage and support each other as we write and share our letters of faith with family, friends and faithful followers all around the world. This is the time to share the Good News! Won’t you join me in a letter writing campaign today?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

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© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

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