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Sojourners Verse and Voice – 21 August 2026

Verse of the day

They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.
– Jeremiah 6:14

Voice of the day

I will refuse normalization that asks us to forget or to sacrifice justice for a false calm. Yes to cooperation grounded in rights, truth, and justice. Anything less is not reconciliation; it is a postponement of the real work we must do together.
– Bisan Owda

Prayer of the day

Teach us the way to build a real foundation for ensuring a legacy of repair.

When We Practice Moderation – Melinda Emily Thomas

“When we practice moderation, a vitality of mind, body, and spirit returns to the places that were once depleted by too much—or perhaps too little—effort.”

—Melinda Emily Thomas, Sacred Balance: Aligning Body and Spirit Through Yoga and the Benedictine Way
 How do you practice moderation? What are you over or underdoing in your life today?

Sign up for a self-study bundle of Contemplative Yoga with Melinda. Use code YOGA20 to take 20% off through August 31st.

Letting Go – Henri Nouwen 

Detachment is often understood as letting loose of what is attractive. But it sometimes also requires letting go of what is repulsive. You can indeed become attached to dark forces such as resentment and hatred. As long as you seek retaliation, you cling to your own past. Sometimes it seems as though you might lose yourself along with your revenge and hate – so you stand there with balled-up fists, closed to the other who wants to heal. — With Open Hands

Reflection Question: Where are you standing with balled-up fists and how will you take the first step to open your hands?

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.– Proverbs 14: 30

Into the Wild Places – Christine Valters Paintner

“The spiritual journey calls us out into the wild places where God is not
tamed and domesticated. We are asked to release our agendas and discover
the holy direction for our lives.”

—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, The Soul of a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within
 What are the ways you’ve been tamed and domesticated? What are the ways you’ve tamed and domesticated God?

To register for the self-study companion retreat to the book with extra resources and guidance, click here.

Sojourners Verse and Voice – 19 August 2026

Verse of the day

They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
– Genesis 40:8

Voice of the day

The movement of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men and women often calls them to act against the spirit of their times or causes them to anticipate a spirit which is yet in the making. In a moment of dedication they are given wisdom and courage to dare a deed that challenges and to kindle a hope that inspires.
– Howard Thurman

Prayer of the day

God of daring hope, inhabit our hearts with a sense of what’s to come and strengthen our resolve to meet the challenges of our times.

Sojourners Verse and Voice – 18 August 2026

Verse of the day

She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
– Proverbs 31:16

Voice of the day

I just have a feeling, a very strong feeling, that if ever this world is civilized, that it would be more the work of women.
– Emma Tenayuca

Prayer of the day

Nurturing God, show us how to model ourselves after the intrepid example of those who spoke out even when they were actively discouraged from doing so.

Sojourners Verse and Voice – 17 August 2026

Verse of the day

If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
– Romans 8:25

Voice of the day

Some flowers bloom where the green grass grows / Our praise is not for them / But the ones who bloom in the bitter snow / We raise our cups to them
– “We Raise our Cups” from Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown

Prayer of the day

Living God, help us remain convicted in our work to renew the world, even when it seems as though good things cannot grow.

For Trust In Abundance – Christine Valters Paintner

Spirit of Generous Abundance,
remind us there is always more than enough—
enough food, enough love, enough time, enough resources.
Help us to see how our disconnected patterns of living
amplify our scarcity.

Bring us into the joy and challenge of community
where bread divided multiplies, where laughter shared overflows.
Empower us to share freely from our own abundance
with others in need. Slow us down to see how time expands
when we breathe and pay attention.

Bless us in our efforts to trust
in your goodness and love pulsing through the world,
sustaining it moment by moment.
Give us the courage to speak out
when resources are distributed unfairly
so that we may remind others there is more to share.

Encourage us to release that which we no longer
need to hold on to so tightly.
Inspire us to live in a way that witnesses
to our trust in the lavish fullness of life.

~Christine Valters Paintner, A Book of Everyday Blessings (Ave Maria Press)

To Be A Christian Now – Archbishop Oscar Romero

To be a Christian now means to have the courage to preach the true teaching of Christ and not be afraid of it, not be silent out of fear and preach something easy that won’t cause problems. — The Violence of Love, p. 16

Sojourners Verse and Voice – 14 August 2026

Verse of the day

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your earnings for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
– Isaiah 55:2

Voice of the day

Some got their miracle. Not being cured or fixed but finding the sustaining power to wake up every day and do what we’re here to do. In spite of the pain. Daily bread.
– Fr. Jud Duplenticy in “Wake Up Dead Man” (2025)

Prayer of the day

God of the ordinary, may the endurances we bear in day-to-day life be a source of proof that we can prosper and enact your desire for wholeness.