A Pastoral Word. . . Livin' on a Prayer
Pastor Kevin Freeman
November 7, 2024
The iconic John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge spans the Cumberland River in East Nashville, rising sixteen feet above the water. Residents and tourists often walk this scenic bridge to access the downtown amenities. Because of its popularity, the music artist Jon Bon Jovi chose the bridge to film a new music video in September. Bon Jovi’s filming plans were quickly put aside, however, when he noticed a more urgent matter: a woman was preparing to jump from the bridge into the water below.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department posted bridge video surveillance of the encounter, along with the following message: “A shout out to @jonbonjovi & his team for helping a woman on the Seigenthaler Ped Bridge Tue night. Bon Jovi helped persuade her to come off the ledge over the Cumberland River to safety.” The accompanying video showed exactly that. After convincing the woman to return to safety and helping her over the railing, the artist spoke awhile to her, and the two embraced.
I do wonder what Jon Bon Jovi said to draw this woman from her precarious perch. Perhaps it was, “We’ve gotta hold on to what we’ve got.” Or he may have said, “Take my hand. You’ll make it, I swear.” More likely, he didn’t use his old song lyrics but simply spoke to the woman and encouraged her not to jump, reminding her of all the good things she had to live for.
What encourages me the most about this story is that someone like Jon Bon Jovi was going about his day with his eyes open, ready to respond to the needs of those around him. Our calling as Christians is to do much the same. One way we do this is by maintaining our connection with God, who will guide us throughout each day. Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonian believers was to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). You could say that we must go about our day “livin’ on a prayer.”
A small panel of Redland ladies recently blessed our youth ministry by serving as a panel to answer questions about prayer from our youth, and this verse about continually being in prayer came up. They explained that we should always keep our connection to God open.
At any moment, God may be directing you to see and meet a need in someone’s life. You may be called to encourage a struggling mom with a word about God’s unconditional love, to invite your neighbor to church, or to tell a coworker how God answered your prayer for a family member.
By keeping an open connection with God, we are “livin’ on a prayer,” ready to be directed to others for His purpose. How open is your connection?
Your Partner in Ministry,
Kevin Freeman
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department posted bridge video surveillance of the encounter, along with the following message: “A shout out to @jonbonjovi & his team for helping a woman on the Seigenthaler Ped Bridge Tue night. Bon Jovi helped persuade her to come off the ledge over the Cumberland River to safety.” The accompanying video showed exactly that. After convincing the woman to return to safety and helping her over the railing, the artist spoke awhile to her, and the two embraced.
I do wonder what Jon Bon Jovi said to draw this woman from her precarious perch. Perhaps it was, “We’ve gotta hold on to what we’ve got.” Or he may have said, “Take my hand. You’ll make it, I swear.” More likely, he didn’t use his old song lyrics but simply spoke to the woman and encouraged her not to jump, reminding her of all the good things she had to live for.
What encourages me the most about this story is that someone like Jon Bon Jovi was going about his day with his eyes open, ready to respond to the needs of those around him. Our calling as Christians is to do much the same. One way we do this is by maintaining our connection with God, who will guide us throughout each day. Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonian believers was to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). You could say that we must go about our day “livin’ on a prayer.”
A small panel of Redland ladies recently blessed our youth ministry by serving as a panel to answer questions about prayer from our youth, and this verse about continually being in prayer came up. They explained that we should always keep our connection to God open.
At any moment, God may be directing you to see and meet a need in someone’s life. You may be called to encourage a struggling mom with a word about God’s unconditional love, to invite your neighbor to church, or to tell a coworker how God answered your prayer for a family member.
By keeping an open connection with God, we are “livin’ on a prayer,” ready to be directed to others for His purpose. How open is your connection?
Your Partner in Ministry,
Kevin Freeman
Source: https://x.com/MNPDNashville/status/1833970989354348832
Image: By Historic American Buildings Survey, Heritage Documentation Programs, a division of the U.S. National Park Service - https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/tn0302.photos.366015p/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20403749
Image: By Historic American Buildings Survey, Heritage Documentation Programs, a division of the U.S. National Park Service - https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/tn0302.photos.366015p/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20403749
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