“Almighty God, you led your pilgrim people of old with fire and cloud; grant that the ministers of your Church, following the example of blessed Enmegahbowh, may stand before your holy people, leading them with fiery zeal and gentle humility. This we ask through Jesus, the Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.”
“Let justice roll down like a freshening river
and righteousness rise within us
like an ever-flowing stream
that we may care for our neighbors in your Name.”
“The myth of the fall of humanity, as relayed early in the Book of Genesis, discloses God’s tender side.”
“When I needed a book from the shelf behind me I looked up for the first time seeing a brilliant orange sunset, almost as if the sky was on fire. I quickly walked out my door where my eyes were drawn to the light of a double rainbow.”
“Jesus’ disciples, his chosen, his friends, were bullying her. Chasing her away. She was a Canaanite. Probably had the wrong gods. Unclean. Looked wrong. Sounded wrong. Smelt wrong. Couldn’t let her defile their Master. Annoying woman, and we know what female dogs are called. Is that why she quoted the folk saying about dogs under the table? Jesus lets it go on a little.”
“For people of color, especially for black African Americans, the terror of the hate crime is built into the very fabric of one’s days. It’s not a new thing; it’s ongoing, a constant awareness — a fact of life over which one has little control.”
“What has bothered me a lot this week is the incident the other evening at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington DC. Clergy and members of the congregation had been peacefully handing out water and snacks to the peaceful protesters who stopped by. Some protesters asked for prayers or just to talk to someone about their concerns. St. John’s has been serving the community since colonial times and was continuing its mission using the hands of those who took their ministry of Christian service to others very seriously.”
“It also was a great comfort in my formation that I knew there were people out there in my “circle of supporters” praying for me on Ember Days, and praying with heartfelt words. It mattered to see it in the Prayers of the People on the Sundays of those Ember Weeks, and those little emails, notes, and the occasional trinket carried me through a lot of the droughts and floods. It matters to be prayed for while in formation–it really does.”
“God is so mighty, as reflected through God’s works, that the psalmist underscores the absolute insignificance of humans (v. 5). Thus, God’s singling out of humanity is even more amazing and unmerited. The honor of God’s love for us places us just below the ranks of heaven (v. 6). “
The word “beautiful,” which occurs a couple of dozen times, carries the weight of the Gospel embodied.