Prayer Requests

Our Prayer Chain is always available to you when you have concerns and need prayer.  Please contact Joanne Rath (610-398-0433 or jrath1@rcn.com), or the church secretary (Lynda S.) to be put on the chain of communication, or to initiate a prayer.  All prayer requests will be treated with prayerful discretion.

Information on Gary and Cindy Hogman (excerpts from a note from Pastor Roberta originally printed in the August/September, 2009 issue of the Faith Flyer):

In April, one of our church members asked our Prayer Chain for prayers for a Gary and Cindy Hogman. Gary and Cindy were identified as a friend of the sister sending the request.

Naturally, the request circulated on our prayer chain. Then a few weeks later, we started getting multiple daily phone calls, emails and letters asking for more information about this couple and their needs.  Churches contacted us saying they had prayed for the couple in their worship services. Individuals called asking for updates or for an address so they could send a prayer shawl or a personal note. We heard from people who were selling miracle cures and treatments.

It seems once the original request hit our prayer chain, someone modified the email saying Gary and Cindy are members of Faith Church or inadvertently made a change that indicated the email originated from our church.

Touched by this outpouring of prayer and concern, Lynda and I wanted to know more about Gary and Cindy. That’s when Lynda looked, and found, more information at www.snopes.com/inboxer/prayer/hogman.asp.

From Snopes, we learned the request came from a sincere, legitimate prayer request in June 2001. Since then there have been a variety of modifications in the details. Gary and Cindy’s home has been listed in many different locations, and Gary has had a variety of first names.

Rather than be cynical about receiving a “bogus” request, I prefer to be impressed by the number of people and churches who called us asking for verification and for offers of prayer and support. However, this is a good reminder to not mass forward any email before checking it out. I believe it is better to err on the side of knowing and believing in God’s healing power and to trust God makes use of all prayers, whether or not we know the people involved. God knows the true needs of the many people we will never meet and uses our prayers on their behalf.