God is Good! Rev. Cushman leads his first Worship, Sunday July 2, 2023

We are delighted to welcome Rev. Cushman as our interim pastor.

After a brief, fruitful search, we were able to call him to this position from nearby Norristown where he and his wife Rhonda, also an ordained ABC minister, are members of Calvary Baptist Church (see his bio here).

The following is the Pastoral Prayer Rev. Cushman made as he began his ministry with us.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us this time and this place in which to center our spirits and to focus our thoughts. Speak to us again through the words of Scripture, we pray. Meet us around the Lord’s Table.

If we have grown timid in our Christian witness, encourage us, we pray. Help us to encourage one another in our daily walk as disciples of Jesus. Forgive us when we stray from the path that you have set before us, O Lord, and lead us back to your paths of righteousness.

On this Independence Day weekend, we thank you for the freedoms that we enjoy as a nation. This morning we pray for our local, state, and national leaders, O Lord. Grant them an extra measure of wisdom for the challenges they face.

Gracious God, we ask that you would deepen our compassion towards the neighbors. Help us to unite in common purpose with all people of good will around the earth and lead us in the paths of righteousness.

This morning we pray for your healing presence to be with those we know who have health needs — whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Strengthen them in this hour, O God, and grant them your peace, we pray. We pray for those who wait for medical procedures and test results; wait with them. And in the waiting times of life, help us together to be a source of strength and comfort to one another.

Gracious God, today we pray for all who work with our children and the children of the world. Bless the work of school teachers, and Sunday School teachers, and medical professionals, and social workers who labor to bring inspiration, and health, and safety to the young. Encourage them in their efforts, we pray. These things we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

It was at once, a familiar prayer of familiar themes but also a prayer filled with sincere pastoral petitions, all of which we as a congregation share, reminding us that as a community of Christians, regardless of any change of leadership, our mission, worship, and service continue with hope, looking forward to the promise of renewal with Rev. Cushman’s guidance and help.