Over the last seven years I have been privileged to share the Prayer of the Lamb with almost 1,000 persons through seminars, workshops, retreats, 12 week groups, and ongoing groups, not to mention an equal number who have received malas (prayer bead bracelets), each mala having been used in meditation with the Prayer of the Lamb for at least one hour. Members of the Community of the Lamb are those who meditate with the Prayer of the Lamb, and a number of you have taken part in preparing malas for others to use. We did this for those attending General Convention in 2003, for members of St. Paul, New Orleans, as part of the “We Will Stand With You” campaign, and for inmates at the state prison in Monroe.
Now we have received a new request. It is a modest request, not a large project, and members of the St. Dunstan ongoing group are already engaged in make malas and meditating with them for this latest project.
The Diocese of San Joaquin has gone through a tremendous shaking during the last several months. After the bishop and most of the congregations chose to disassociate from the Episcopal Church, much work has been done through the offices of the Presiding Bishop and the Episcopal Church Center to support and reconstitute the diocese around those congregations and individuals who wanted to stay. New mission congregations have been forming. Interestingly those who had not identified themselves with previous parishes of the diocese, now are seeking to become members of the newly forming congregations.
Grace Episcopal Mission in Bakersfield is one of these new faith communities. On June 22 over 20 persons will be baptized, confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. One of those being baptized is related to one of the clergy of this diocese. Observing both this priest’s spiritual process of responding to a call to serve in ordained ministry and the emergence of this new congregation has lead to a commitment of faith in our Lord Jesus. In support for this we have been requested to provide a mala for each of those being presented to the bishop recently appointed to oversee the diocese. (There is synchronicity in that this bishop’s name is Lamb!) My colleague will be attending this event and taking malas representing our prayer support for the individuals making faith commitments and for the congregation as it lays a new spiritual foundation.
As is the case every time we offer the Prayer of the Lamb in intercession, we ask for God’s mercy without agenda or qualifications. There are no assumptions about rightness or religious political positions of belief. There is simply the plea for that abundant, unconditional, compassionate mercy to pour over them and us, that mutually we may wake to the reality of Yeshua’s Resurrection Life. Please remember Grace Episcopal Mission in your intercessions.
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