Did This Really Happen?

Yesterday, I was taken to lunch by one of my congregation members for as Luther would probably put it "mutual conversation and consulation of the bretheren."  We talked of many things, and I remember vividly in the midst of the conversation talking about sharing one's faith with another.  My comment was something like this, "Well, take that back, most Lutherans are simply content to sit back and say nothing."

I know this to be factual because I am a cradle to mid-life Lutheran.  Born and raised in this tradition with all it's good and bad.  Fortunately, one side of my family had a little bit of Baptist in it, including several who were Baptist preachers.  I'm not afraid to talk about my faith, and for most Lutherans, that's fine.  That's what a pastor is supposed to do.  The rest of us will keep everything to ourselves, thank you very much.

It's not that Lutherans aren't outgoing and gregarious.  Just go to a dance where the polka music and the beer flow liberally.  You'll see more than a few good Lutherans letting it all hang out, but ask them about their relationship with God, and things will clam up pretty quickly.  I'm not sure exactly why this is the case, but it generally is.

Which is why the irony of last night's women's meeting is not lost upon me.  For roughly seven hours after I made the comment about Lutherans keeping tight lips about their faith, the exact opposite happened at the women's meeting

During January, our women reveal their prayer partners for the previous year.  It's a rather neat thing they do.  All the ladies who desire to put their names in a hat, and they proceed to draw a name for the year.  They are then charged with praying for that person for the next year.  Before revealing the names of the previous year, a story on prayer was told--one that I had encountered on the internet years ago.  Then, the personal stories started.

A grandmother spoke of the time a black Baptist minister prayed with her and her son on the day her granddaughter was life-flighted to Houston with a mysterious, debilitating illness.

A former PICU nurse spoke of prayers of healing which were answered for children who doctors had said there was no hope for.

Another nurse spoke of a series of "conincidence" including a radical medical procedure to deal with a rare disease, an impossible pregnancy, and the child of the pregnancy having to deal with the same disease as mom--and having the same doctor nearly 20 years later minister to both!  (And, BTW, both the mom and the child are healthy and happy!)

I remember vividly the statement spoken by the leader last night, "Prayer doesn't only help those you pray for, but it helps you too.  It's real."

Those last two words became sort of a theme throughout the rest of the meeting, "It's real."

One of the younger ladies spoke of her frustration in trying to get other ladies to come to the meetings, and then she had a brainstorm, "I figured out, I needed to pray for them.  It's real."

These women of faith gathered together and shared stories of how they had encountered God's presence through prayer.  It was somewhat of an atypical thing in Lutheran congregations, but I don't think anyone who was there last night came away unaffected by the stories that were shared.

And I didn't have to say a bloody word!!!  I could just sit and listen as these ladies shared their testimonies.  In a Lutheran Church. 

Did this really happen?

Yes.  It did.