“To pray means to open your hands before God. It means slowly relaxing the tension which squeezes your existence with and increasing readiness, not as a possession to defend, but as a gift to receive. Above all, therefore, prayer is a way of life which allows you to find a stillness in the midst of the world where you can open your hands to God’s promises, and find hope for yourself, your fellowman and the whole community in which you live. In prayer you encounter God in the soft breeze, in the distress and joy of your neighbor and in the loneliness of our own heart. Prayer leads you to see new paths and to hear new melodies in the air. “   
-Henri Nouwen, With Open Hands 

This quote encapsulates my experience as a member of the MOPY prayer team. Prayer is a way that I connect with God, others on the prayer team, our congregation, the community, and the broader world.  

In December of 2021, my husband Scott and I were sitting in a pew during the Sunday worship service, and it was time for prayers. Two days prior, the hospice nurse had told us that Scott’s mother had only a few days left with us. I raised my hand to speak a prayer for Scott’s mother during worship, but tears came instead of words. Pastor Beth knew what was on my heart and offered a prayer for Scott’s mother and our family as we approached the end of her life. The support and sense of love and connection I felt after participating and praying in worship were a source of strength and peace during this time. 

The Mount Olivet prayer team, extends this support and connection beyond the worship services. Members of the Prayer Team take time each week to lift up before God the prayers of our congregation, the community and the broader world. Prayers are gathered from the worship services, the prayer wall, the outdoor prayer box and the emails that people send via Mount Olivet's website. In addition to weekly prayers, we also gather as a group once a month to pray for the community and share our individual joys and concerns. Sometimes we pray around a candlelit table, and other times we pray as we walk the outdoor prayer labyrinth. We believe God hears all of our prayers, no matter how big or small. We listen for God’s voice in each other, the silence and the breeze blowing through the trees. Together we find hope as we seek to find God’s promises for us and our world. The Prayer Team helps me "open my hands before God."

 By Kathy Grinde and LaVerne Johnson