“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess. 5:16-18
Throughout the 1980s, East German Christians gathered every Monday for prayer. Led by Lutheran pastor Christian Fuhrer, prayer meetings were held at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig. Over time, the gathering grew. On October 9, 1989, some 70,000 people gathered. They spilled into the streets, speaking their prayers and holding their candles. The situation remained peaceful. As a high-level East German leader put it, “We had planned for everything…but not for candles and prayers.”
One month later, the Berlin Wall came down.
As people who follow Jesus, we pray. Alone and together, we pray. And, in times of great change, we pray.
We can agree that 2025 has begun as a time of significant change, particularly in our federal government. Whether we agree or disagree with the changes, the very speed of the actions gives us pause. And so we pray.
We pray for peace. We pray for victims of war and violence. We pray for civil discourse. We pray for those who have lost jobs or vital services. We pray for children, people with disabilities, elders. We pray for those experiencing anxiety in the face of rapid changes. We pray for government leaders. We pray that we might each be faithful, good listeners, loving Christians. We pray for our congregation and for the renewal of the church.
Today, we invite our synod’s congregations to join with congregations throughout the ELCA to gather for weekly, community prayer as part of the Pray Without Ceasing Initiative.
Specifically, we ask our congregations to make two commitments:
- Establish and host a regular, weekly prayer gathering – welcoming all. We encourage congregations to consider every Sunday at 5pm (local time) but trust you will determine a time that works for your congregation. We hope your first prayer gathering will be held between May 1-8, 2025.
- Find two other congregations (ELCA, full communion partners, other faith communities) who will make the same two-fold commitment by the second week of May 8-15 (host a weekly, welcoming prayer gathering and ask 2 other congregations to make the same commitment).
By Pentecost Sunday, June 8, several congregations in our synod and in each participating synod will have begun gathering weekly. How amazing that over the weeks, this number will grow and multiply.
The call to prayer runs through Scripture: the community gathered before Pentecost, the faithful praying to receive the Word in Nehemiah, some 150 Psalms calling us to pray alone and together.
Now, in this time of rapid change, we pray.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can congregations* adapt Pray Without Ceasing for their specific context?
Absolutely! Our hope is to provide support, suggestions, and resources AND to encourage synods and congregations to adapt this to their context. However, we ask that all congregations and faith communities agree to a few essentials:
- A weekly prayer time distinct from weekly Sunday worship
- A commitment to non-partisanship, and a welcome extended to all, including newcomers
- A commitment to invite and encourage other congregations to participate, seeking to grow a renewed churchwide community of prayer
- A willingness to share your congregation’s commitment with an ELCA Database devoted to this project
*We mention congregations in this document but please understand this widely. It could include other communities, campus ministries, care centers, social service organizations, camps, and more.
What will Pray Without Ceasing provide for congregations?
- Sample invitations for bulletins, e-news, etc.
- Scripture, prayer, song, and liturgy resources
- A weekly zoom conversation (optional) for congregational leaders, each Thursday beginning May 1, 1pm Central Time, for approximately 30 minutes.
- A webpage with updates, resources, and a list of participating congregations and ministries. Link here: https://mpls-synod.org/pray-without-ceasing/
- Sample invitations for your congregation to invite other congregations to participate
For whom and what are we praying?
- We pray for peace, and for victims of war, violence, and persecution.
- We pray for those who have lost jobs or vital services.
- We pray for children, people with disabilities, elders.
- We pray for those experiencing anxiety in the face of rapid change.
- We pray for government leaders.
- We pray for respectful conversation in our communities.
- We pray for our congregation and for the renewal of the church.
Who can serve as congregational leaders for Pray without Ceasing?
Congregations are blessed with leaders with varied gifts and skills to organize, communicate, and gather the community for prayer. Each congregation is free to discern who might best We Pray without Ceasing. Leadership is not limited to pastors or deacons. In some settings a musical leader may be involved, while in other congregations the prayers may be spoken. Make this your own in your context.
Is there a specified day and time each week?
We encourage congregations to consider Sundays at 5pm (local time), but each community will need to determine what is best for them. For some this might be Wednesday evening or during an already established prayer time. We support incorporating Pray without Ceasing into those activities or launching a new time that fits. However, Pray Without Ceasing should be named clearly and the prayer gatherings should be open to all and meet weekly.
Can we meet by Zoom to pray?
Yes. Zoom, in person indoors, in person outdoors, hybrid, at a brewery, at a park – whatever works best for your congregation.
Does our congregation have to develop a special liturgy/prayer service for each week?
No. Of course, each congregation is welcome to prepare resources for their own context. However, we will be posting regularly on our webpage sample liturgies for congregations. These will be based on a variety of sources, including the Service of Word and Prayer developed for All Creation Sings; For what Shall we Pray published each week https://blogs.elca.org/worship/ ; Singing Our Prayer; Prayer Ventures, offering daily petitions https://resources.elca.org/?_categories=prayer-ventures ; Sundays and Seasons; and song resources like Singing in Community: Paperless Songs for Worship https://www.augsburgfortress.org
What about folks who say, “Prayer is great, but how can we take action?”
We agree that action is important. Depending on context, congregations may already be involved in actions or providing action ideas. In addition to local ministries that congregations may wish to support, we can provide ideas of ELCA-related ministries that can help us show “faith active in love” in gifts of time, money, and advocacy for our neighbors.
How do you respond if people say they think this is a politically biased movement?
The purpose of this prayer effort is to follow Jesus’ call to love our neighbors and to pray for neighbors in need. We are working to practice “faith active in love” for all our neighbors, not to take partisan sides.
What do we do if offering this prayer opportunity does cause conflict in our congregation?
The ELCA has excellent resources for creating safe spaces for conversations among members. (https://www.elca.org/faith/faith-and-society/moral-deliberation).
Additional resources include: https://braverangels.org/ or https://mcc.org/resources/mcc-guide-having-better-conversations-divisive-issues, or https://thecrg.org/collections/Handling_Conflict_in_Your_Congregation
Whom shall we contact if we have questions or concerns?
Pray without Ceasing is an initiative launched by the Minneapolis Area Synod and supported by many Bishops in the ELCA. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Pastor Ann Svennungsen, who serves on behalf of the Minneapolis Area Synod to help facilitate this project. Contact: asvennungsen@gmail.com or call/text 612-965-1628.