1 A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her dying father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The pastor assumed that the fellow had been informed of his visit. “I guess you were expecting me," he said. "No, who are you?" said the father. "I'm the new pastor at your church," he replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up." "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bed-ridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?” Puzzled, the pastor shut the door. "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "For all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church, I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest: Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, "I'll be with you always." Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now." So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm care- ful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nerv- ous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm." The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church. Two days later the daughter called to tell her pastor that her Dad died earlier that afternoon. "When I left the house about two o'clock,” the daughter told the pastor, The Herald Elim Lutheran Church, Port Orchard, WA 5911 E. Hillcrest Drive, Port Orchard, WA 98366 August 2016 Email: [email protected]www.elimlutheranportorchard.com (360) 871-0602 Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30 AM—12:30 PM Prayer and the Chair
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Transcript
1
A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with
her dying father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in
bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat
beside his bed. The pastor assumed that the fellow had been
informed of his visit. “I guess you were expecting me," he said.
"No, who are you?" said the father. "I'm the new pastor at your
church," he replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew
I was going to show up."
"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bed-ridden man. "Would you
mind closing the door?” Puzzled, the pastor shut the door. "I
have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the
man. "For all of my life I have never known how to pray. At
church, I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went
right over my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer,"
the man continued, "until one day about four years ago my
best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of
having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest: Sit
down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in
faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, "I'll be with you
always." Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now."
So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm care-
ful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nerv-
ous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm." The pastor was deeply moved by
the story and encouraged the man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with
him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church.
Two days later the daughter called to tell her pastor that her Dad died earlier that
afternoon. "When I left the house about two o'clock,” the daughter told the pastor,
The Herald
Elim Lutheran Church, Port Orchard, WA
5911 E. Hillcrest Drive, Port Orchard, WA 98366 August 2016 Email: [email protected] www.elimlutheranportorchard.com (360) 871-0602 Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30 AM—12:30 PM
Prayer and the Chair
2
THE EDGE OF HUMOR
“he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek.
When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was
something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned
over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"
The pastor responded, “ Don’t worry, he was in good hands." Author unknown
——-——-
May your prayer time give you confidence in our God who listens and answers, and
especially sits with you in each moment of life.
Pastor Chris Nolte
Visitation Information
Please drop in anytime to the church office (M-F 8:30 AM — 12:30 PM) or make an
appointment to see Pastor Chris or Katie. We look forward to serving you.
Please let the church office know if you are going to the hospital or are ill at
home. Hospitals do not call churches anymore. A visit and/or remembering
you in prayer are ways we can respond once we know. Thank you for your
assistance.
Besides Pastor Chris calling you for a visit, when you would like to have a
pastoral visit you are encouraged to call the office. Please call Pastor Chris
(360-907-4289) in an emergency or a time of need. Your call or contact is