For a number of years now, we have sought ways to deepen the church's prayer life. Things like the prayer room, the "Remaining in Christ" Lenten series, and the Deacons' prayer time after the second service are a few examples. The Invitation to Prayer retreat is a continuation of this effort at a deeper, more focused level.

When we consider things like prayer, meditation, and stillness, it could be said that our entire society is suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. We are mercilessly bombarded by advertisers at every turn. We are emailed, texted, blogged, linked, tweeted, Googled, Facebooked, iPhoned, and connected to distraction! Add the responsibilities of work, family, and even ministries, and the idea of taking time to sit quietly to pray can seem like a quaint thing of the past rather than a central tenet of our faith. Even those of us who are not connected to the information superhighway may find our lives just one endless to-do list. Invitation to Prayer will seek to give us permission to stop, be still, and restore prayer to its proper place in our Christian walk – a time of intentional slowing down, listening, and being with God.

In preparation for this special day, we will be offering a series of prayer opportunities for the four weeks leading up to the retreat, beginning on Sunday evening, Jan. 10, with a Prayer Week Service at church. Other events will be the service for the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, on January 18; a prayer gathering on Jan. 24; and the Ash Wednesday Service on Feb. 17.

The Covenant retreat brochure closes with these words:
“It is our prayer that such continued, deep, and rich prayer ex-periences will filter outward, empowering each person and each community through the Spirit to live as disciples of Christ, impacting the church and the world.” Please mark your cal-endars for a very special day on February 20, as we join together to seek God’s voice through Invitation to Prayer.