A St. Benedict Prayer Book

Do you have a special prayer that you use on regular basis – a prayer you pray before every meal, before you travel, or before you, or a loved one, has surgery?  Is there a prayer that you pray daily – regardless of events – or a prayer you pray before any “big” event?  I think there are prayers like this “out there” in our community, and I’d like to document and celebrate them in a St. Benedict Prayer Book.

One of the ways I want to celebrate St. Benedict being a place of prayer in 2012 – our 40^th year as a congregation – is to put together a special prayer book.  I know that we have our Book of Common Prayer (BCP), that outlines our faith and contains many of our most-beloved and frequently recited prayers, but I also believe that we, as a community, have and use many prayers that aren’t contained in our Episcopal BCP.

Any prayers – daily or special occasion – that’d you’d like to have included in our St. Benedict Prayer Book – can be sent to me, Margaret Bauman, in a number of ways: 1) via email at ”mbauman10″ at “gmail dot com” – subject line “prayer for our book”, 2) via regular mail to Church of St. Benedict, 909 Lily Cache Lane, Bolingbrook, IL 60440, or 3) via a note in the Sunday offering plate, indicating “prayer for our book”.

That the Episcopal Church of St. Benedict in Bolingbrook is a place of prayer is well-known by many.  This “many” includes, but is not limited to: those who ask for intercessory prayers for themselves and their loved-ones, those who come to be anointed for healing after they’ve taken communion, those who come for individual healing prayer, and those who click on the “Prayer Request” button on our website.  It’s understood about us that prayer is how we’re grounded in God and His love for us.

St. Benedict is special and prayer is only one of the reasons why.  A St. Benedict Prayer Book will help affirm for us, and the greater community, why we’re special and why we’re a growing, vibrant part of the Church in the world.

On a personal note, I want you to know that prayer is an important part of my life.  I’m a member of our Healing Prayer Team – we’re the ones who do the anointing during communion on Sunday mornings, as well as offering individual prayer for healing after Sunday services.  We also visit the hospitalized and home-bound at request. Please contact the church office, and our secretary will put you in touch with Esther Simonson or Rev. Heidi, if you’re in need of individual healing prayer in a setting apart from what we’re able to offer after a Sunday service in the sanctuary.

St. Benedict’s also offers prayers through our Intercessory Prayer Team, ASK (“And So we Kneel”).  Please contact the church office, and our secretary will put you in touch with Ruan Wright or Joel Wegman, who lead this Team; they would be pleased and grateful to offer prayers to God for anything you’d like them to pray about.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you about the prayers you “always” pray and from learning from you about how God is answering those prayers and working in your life.

I remain, your Sister in Christ – Margaret Bauman