Who are Gordon C. Gladden and Ethel Thomas, and why does someone want me to pray for them? Are they sick? Do they need Jesus? What’s the story? Last week we received a letter from the US, hand addressed to: Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, 1215 Hammonds Plains Rd. Halifax Regional Municipality Canada. No postal code and no province. Inside was a half sheet of lined paper and hand printed it said: Pray for Ethel Thomas and signed by Gordon C. Gladden. So I did. And then I did what any sane person would do, I Googled their names. I was amazed to discover the number of times their names came up in the first 9 pages of Google results.
Churches across the United States have been receiving identical requests for prayer since 2004 and Gordon and Ethel have appeared on prayer list in Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, and Anglican churches as well as Temple Beth Shalom, which is a Conservative Jewish Congregation in New York City.
Is there anyone in your life who you would ask strangers all over North America to pray for? Just think of the cost of stamps and envelopes.
I don’t know what Gordon and Ethel’s needs are, but when they cross my mind I will whisper a prayer. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.
Churches across the United States have been receiving identical requests for prayer since 2004 and Gordon and Ethel have appeared on prayer list in Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, and Anglican churches as well as Temple Beth Shalom, which is a Conservative Jewish Congregation in New York City.
Is there anyone in your life who you would ask strangers all over North America to pray for? Just think of the cost of stamps and envelopes.
I don’t know what Gordon and Ethel’s needs are, but when they cross my mind I will whisper a prayer. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.