For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:11-13

This morning Rebekah and I are very excited to be heading to Wake Forest Presbyterian Church for worship. We were only gone for two weeks of vacation, but we’re ready to be back with our amazing faith community.

It’s the first Sunday of August, which means communion at both worship services. The Lord’s Supper – sharing the bread and the wine – is the perfect context for launching a new month.

So my first task in this brief post is to invite you to be in worship this morning. Even if you’re traveling, or on vacation, be deliberate about seeking out an opportunity to worship with a local congregation. It’s not just that corporate worship is central to the practice of Christian faith, but that the act of coming before God in praise, and in prayer, and in the company of other believers is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to living complete lives, as whole people, and moving forward as faithful disciples of Jesus.

PRAYER REQUEST: My second task is to ask for your prayers. Yesterday, after some 48-hours of grueling travel – via Midland, Detroit, Boston, and Istanbul – our son Andrew and his wife Alicia finally arrived in Tashkent, where they will be living for the next few years.

You can read more details of this part of their story at “Our Time is Now,” from Andrew and Alicia’s excellent travel blog. But the immediate fact is that they have moved to Uzbekistan, where Alicia has been hired to teach at the Tashkent International School. Andrew will be working on his masters degree from Penn State, and likely hooking up with some kind of non-profit for part-time employment.

Please pray for them both. They are 8,500 miles from their families, and nine time zones to the east. They had a rough trip over, Andrew had to go to the clinic as soon as they arrived, and they will be apartment hunting over the next few days. It’s an exciting new adventure, and they are more than up for the challenge, but we would all value your prayers nonetheless.

In fact, why don’t you deal with both parts of this post at the same time, and pray for Andrew and Alicia over communion at church today? There’s something about breaking the bread and drinking the wine together that applies deep perspective to the connection we have with family, friends, and God’s children throughout this world.

• “This do” – as you lift up our children in your prayers – “in remembrance of me.” – Jesus
• “When you take the bread and the wine, think about everything I’m doing for you, everything I have laid on the line, and how very deeply I love you…” – Jesus

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:11-13