Rev. Megan
Berkowitz
Rev. Amy
Clark Feldman
Pastor Megan
May 9 2025
Dear Church,
I had a lot of interest in the prayer structure I shared during last Sunday’s worship, so I wanted to write it out for you here. If you’re feeling like you’re not sure how to pray or what to say, sometimes a little scaffolding can help get you started. Don’t think that this is the ‘right’ way to pray though — any way to pray that leads you to open your heart to God is the right way!
You — Who — Do — Through
You: Name God whom you are addressing. “Loving and living God,” “Jesus, Healer of the World,” and “Spirit of Life,” are examples of this. You can also look to scripture for inspiration, seeing how our ancestors in faith called on God.
Who: Go into a little more detail about aspects of God’s being, or previous actions that God has taken, that you want to call to mind as you pray. So, if I want to remind myself of God’s power when I feel powerless, I might pray, “all things came into being through your creativity and goodness…” It could also be something about who God has been for you in your life — “you knew me before I was even born, and you have walked alongside me through every joy and trial in my life…”
Do: What is it that you’re asking of God in this moment? What do you want God to do in your life or in the world? Or, what are you thanking God for having done already? You may have a sense of this already, or you may want to notice how you called upon God for clues of what it is that you’re needing from God in this moment.
Through: How do you understand God to be able to work in the world in the ways you’ve asked? Or, is there another aspect of God that you want to call on in this moment? How is it that you come to God in prayer? “Through your holy name,” “Through Christ,” “through the power of your ever-present Spirit,” and so on.
All of this naming and describing isn’t about what God needs from our prayer, but rather are to help us. Prayer is a practice of communication, but also one of memory: we call on God in prayer because we remember that God has been in relationship with us and with all of our ancestors in faith, and has acted in care and love for us all along.
Blessings,
Pastor Megan
Past Posts
- From Our Pastors
Rev. Amy Clark Feldman
July 4, 2025 What an amazing mission trip we had to Puerto Rico! God’s light shone so brightly in and through our teens, college kids, and adult chaperones on the trip; and we made many new friends and connections on the island. We can’t wait to share more with you about it. Learn More - From Our PastorsRev. Megan Berkowitz
June 27, 2025 As our regular church year draws to a close, we look towards the summer, when we are usually one Body scattered to many locations. Whether we are traveling, visiting with family, focused on different schedules with children, or simply living at the slower pace of the summer months, we see less of one another. It can seem like church is “off” for the summer as well. Learn More - From Our Pastors: June 6, 2025Rev. Megan Berkowitz
June 6, 2025 It’s very fitting that our Annual Meeting falls on Pentecost this year. As we remember the Holy Spirit filling the early church and moving them into meaningful action, following in the Way of Jesus, we, too, experience the movement of the Spirit in our own church community. Learn More - From Our Pastors : May 30, 2025Rev. Clark Feldman
May 30, 2025 The Psalmist wrote so many centuries ago (or maybe just yesterday), “As the deer pants for water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” It’s such a vivid image – this poor deer panting in thirst and exhaustion. How far has it run over dry and scorched land? What a relief to dip its head towards a cool stream; its thirst quenched. Learn More - From Our PastorsRev. Megan Berkowitz
May 23, 2025 We’re heading into a season of joy, celebration, community, and preparation for the future over the next several weeks, and I wanted to be sure to lay it all out in one place so you can plan and save the dates. This weekend, we’ll celebrate and dedicate our new accessible pews in worship and have the second meeting of the spring New Members class immediately following. Learn More - From Our Pastors: May 16, 2025Rev. Amy Clark Feldman
May 16, 2025 As some of you know, I was away for part of this week at a program for clergy and spiritual directors. Each morning began at 7:45 a.m. with worship; and ended around 9:00 p.m. with worship. Spiritual leaders from around the country each led one of the first five services; with each service focusing on one of the five senses – taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight – knowing that Jesus engaged and experienced all the senses in his very human, embodied, incarnate ministry. Learn More - From Our Pastors: May 9, 2025Rev. Megan Berkowitz
May 9, 2025 I had a lot of interest in the prayer structure I shared during last Sunday’s worship, so I wanted to write it out for you here. If you’re feeling like you’re not sure how to pray or what to say, sometimes a little scaffolding can help get you started. Don’t think that this is the ‘right’ way to pray though — any way to pray that leads you to open your heart to God is the right way! Learn More - From Our Pastors: May 2, 2025Rev. Megan Berkowitz
May 2, 2025 There is very little in the Gospels that tells of Jesus after his resurrection and before his ascension. This period gets 5 weeks in the liturgical calendar, but only one or two stories in each Gospel at most. As Pastor Amy shared in her sermon last Sunday, after the Resurrection, Jesus spends some time eating with his disciples, even sharing a grilled fish breakfast on the beach with them one morning. Learn More
