Verse of the day
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
– Ephesians 5:11
Voice of the day
When the church hears the cry of the oppressed it cannot but denounce the social structures that give rise to and perpetuate the misery from which the cry arises.
– St. Óscar Romero, translated by Michael J. Walsh, Voice of the Voiceless(1985)
Prayer of the day
May we expose the fruitless works that oppress our neighbors.
Verse of the day
Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.
– Psalm 119:133 (NIV)
Voice of the day
If the Church is to remain faithful to its Lord, it must make a decisive break with the structure of this society by launching a vehement attack on the evils of racism in all forms.
– James H. Cone, Black Theology and Black Power (1969)
Prayer of the day
Lord, help us to resist oppressive ideologies that separate us from your truth.
Yesterday we had the absolute pleasure of celebrating the marriage of a dear couple, Tory and Trent. I went to seminary with Tory’s parents and the reception wasn’t too far from the old campus of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.
Denise has been reading one of the books for my Transitional/Interim Ministry Week Two class that we will be attending beginning a week from today. The book is Tod Bolsinger’s book Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change.
At the beginning of Chapter Four (Heating: Strength is Forged in Self-Reflection) he shared this quote of Thomas Merton from the book Thomas Merton: Spiritual Master: Essential Writings. (p. 375) He who attempts to act and do things for others or for the world without deepening his own self-understanding, freedom, integrity and capacity to love, will not have anything to give others. He will communicate to them nothing but the contagion of his own obsessions, his aggressiveness, his ego-centered ambitions, his delusions about ends and means, his doctrinaire prejudices and ideas.
This gives me a lot to think about as we prepare for a bumpy flight from Dallas to Pensacola (thanks to weather). As an intentional Interim/Transitional Minister, I am coming to realize the truth of Merton’s words about self-understanding and how important they are when one walks with a congregation through a threshold time of transition.
“The poverty of our century is unlike that of an other. It is not, as it was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied, but written off as trash.”—John Berger
Verse of the day
And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
– Psalm 39:7
Voice of the day
Hope is a song in a weary throat.
– Pauli Murray, Dark Testament (1970)
Prayer of the day
Though the world leaves me weary, I will wait for you to renew me, Lord.
“Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.”—Nelson Mandela
Verse of the day
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
– Amos 5:24
Voice of the day
You are moving in the direction of freedom and the function of freedom is to free somebody else.
– Toni Morrison
Prayer of the day
Lord, make us like an ever-flowing stream, rolling in the direction of freedom.
Verse of the day
One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.”
– Acts 18:9-10
Voice of the day
Do not be silent; there is no limit to the power that may be released through you.
– Howard Thurman, Deep Is the Hunger(1951)
Prayer of the day
May your spirit move through my words, Lord.
Tonight we are sitting on the “balcony” at the hotel where we are staying in Austin, Minnesota. We are reading and sharing our thoughts about the readings for the Interim/Transitional ministry class we will be attending in just over a week. We also spent some time this afternoon with my dad at my mom’s grave which is in such a beautiful spot in the cemetery. Merton’s words from his August 25, 1965 journal entry spoke to my heart.
The five days I have had in real solitude have been a revelation, and whatever questions I may have had about it have been answered. Over and over again I see that this life is what I have always hoped it would be and always sought. A life of peace, silence, purpose, meaning. It is not always easy, but calls for a blessed and salutary effort—and a little goes a long way. Everything about it is rewarding. — A Year with Thomas Merton: Daily Meditations from His Journals (August 16)
A life of peace, silence, purpose, meaning… from our lips to God’s ear my brother 💜
Verse of the day
You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
– Deuteronomy 10:19
Voice of the day
No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark.
– Warsan Shire, “Home”
Prayer of the day
Remind us that the whole earth is your creation, Lord. Show us how to seek radical hospitality.
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