The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
As the day draws to a close
I find myself in a reflective mood
Taking time to simply be still
Be still in the midst of appointments
Be still in the midst of waiting
Reflecting as well on family and dear friends
Thinking of…
Those who are mourning
May they find comfort
Those who are anxious
May they find calm
Those who are fearful
May they find strength
Those who feel isolated and alone
May they find true community
Lord, for communities surrounded by violence
May your peace break through
Where walls of fear and hatred are built
Tear down those walls, Lord
In your mercy, hear this prayer
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
A profound thought & story for today… thanks, Shirley!
Prayer Wall in Chapel Representing all Faiths at Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina MN
Father Ivo Markovic, Franciscan monk and resident of Sarajevo, wanted an Easter choir in his church. Lacking enough Catholics, he set about searching for people of other faiths to make up his choir. Eastern Orthodox Christians, Muslim, Jewish and atheist were recruited, all drawn together through their love of music. I read about Father Markovic in *The Christian Century Magazine recently, which set me on a search to know more him and his choir.
War raged in Serbia and Bosnia from April 1992 through December 1995. The conflict was devastating both to the city of Sarajevo itself and to those who lived there. Neighbors turned on neighbors. Friendships were torn apart in the conflict. By 1996, the first waves of peace had begun, but the peace was fragile. Rebuilding trust would take time and a…
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The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
A long day of traveling is completed
Transitioning from Sea Level to the Mountains
Thankful for this gift of time for renewal
As we prayerfully walk with loved ones
As we journey through the Valley of the Shadows
As we pray for a world so filled with violence
Help us to be the light and the love you call us to be
Help us to do justice
Help us to love kindness & mercy
Help us to walk humbly with you, Lord
In that spirit I lift this humble prayer
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
by Brian Collins, for the team
Today was the day we visited East Aleppo. We’ve all seen the pictures of
the destruction, but what I didn’t appreciate was how widespread it is: a
seemingly endless expanse of torn and collapsed buildings. These were
homes, places of work and prayer. Each represents disrupted or even
extinguished lives. A numbness set in at the monotony of viewing block
after block of the same destruction expressing itself in different ways –
this building without a front, that one without a roof, the next just
rubble.
The people of Aleppo endured much during the fighting. Parts of the city
were closed off; food hard to find or sometimes not to be found. Unable to
access burial grounds in dangerous parts of the city, the dead were
interred in a number of small gardens around the city.
— Read on www.theoutreachfoundation.org/trip-blog/2018/4/24/lebanonsyria-day-six-turning-graveyards-into-gardens
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Our last day of Sabbatical rest
Tomorrow, Lord, we travel
Thank you for this time of rest and refreshment
Thank you for dear friends and hosts
In the midst of it all, Lord we also remember
Today we hold close to our heart two dear families
For those who walk through the Valley of the Shadows
For Jeff Blake and his family
For Lindi and her family
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted
For all of your children, we pray
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
Food for thought
As many of you know, I am part of a group of disciples who are working to proclaim resurrection in the Episcopal Church. Our mission, as articulated in the founding blog posts of the movement, finds is roots in the eighth chapter of Acts. This is a turning point in the life of the fledgling Church. Stephen has just been martyred, while Saul looked on approvingly, and the first significant persecution is underway. Because of the faithfulness of those early Christians, who fled Jerusalem but not their faith in Christ, the Christian faith is still around today. It is a story of hope, of evangelism, and of perseverance. It is a story that has motivated the Acts 8 Movement to continue to call Episcopalians to share the good news of God in Christ with a world that desperately needs it.
As one who has spent a lot of time immersed…
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Thank you, Ronnie… his voice is much needed today…
Announced just days ago, later this year, Pope Francis will lead a canonization mass that will declare Father Oscar Romero a saint. Being a fussy Protestant, I have little to say about the official policies the Roman church follows to arrive at such conclusions. But as a longtime admirer of Romero, I am pleased.
A native of El Salvador, Romero entered formal religious education before most kids in the US get a learner’s permit to drive. Education complete, he returned home to faithfully serve his country as a priest. In 1977, as he turned sixty, he was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador, just as his country descended into an atrocity-ridden civil war.
The establishment saw Romero’s appointment as a “safe” choice. He was conservative and cautious, far past youthful fire-brandishing, and had enjoyed a quiet, settled career. But shortly after his appointment, Father Romero’s closest friend was assassinated for impassioned…
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