Verse of the day
Adonai, you are good to all
and compassionate toward all your creatures. – Psalm 145:9 (The Inclusive Bible)
Voice of the day
We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation. – Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy (2014)
Prayer of the day
Almighty Lord, let us not forget your unfailing mercy. Help us to cultivate a spirt of unwavering mercy and compassion as we seek to build communities that lead with patient understanding and persevering love.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
A day for rest and recovery
A day for reflection and study
A day to simply Be Still
Thank you for this day, Lord
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
I want to talk to Thomas Merton about race. One might doubt whether a cloistered White man who lived in Kentucky in the middle part of the last century would have anything useful to offer, but this particular monk knew that such a conversation is never about race alone. Talking about race means, among many things, sharing our fears and frustrations about our place in the world, about how people are treated, about a hope for better opportunities that never seem to materialize. In other words, it’s about dignity, respect, a shared humanity, and ultimately our hearts and souls. Racism is not just about White people treating people of color badly; it is about how the repercussions of that treatment reverberate for everyone, to the detriment of us all… read more at https://www.christiancentury.org/article/first-person/i-want-talk-thomas-merton-about-race?fbclid=IwAR2DEEoLvAgbNXrMtoeLTTICeDOCI2I4pec7LyAupi7tkICD3P5Kf0TI7ZI
Her book is available from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1506464963/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Civil
“Building Beloved Community isn’t just about loving the people who are easy to love. Friends, family, community, those with similar value systems, similar cultural or political perspectives. No love is ALWAYS easy, but if we’re not struggling to hold love for those that are different than us, those that we don’t hang out with, don’t work with, don’t see eye-to-eye with, then we’re not doing the work of building Beloved Community.”—Kazu Haga
| Verse of the day Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. – Romans 12:15 |
| Voice of the day Radical empathy, on the other hand, means putting in the work to educate oneself and to listen with a humble heart to understand another’s experience from their perspective, not as we imagine we would feel – Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (2020) |
| Prayer of the day Creator, show us a new way forward. Free us from nostalgia and loyalty to what has been done, the way things were, the familiar. Fill us with courage and desire to imagine and create communities that honor the full humanity of us all. – By Erna Kim Hackett |
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Thank you for another day of good ministry
Early morning prayer support outside of the hospital
Preparation for the school backpack ministry
A time as well to simply Be Still
Thank you for our Zoom Midweek Lenten worship and fellowship
Praying for so many in need of your healing balm, Lord
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
I am looking forward to the coming release of Jake’s new book, Looking for God in Messy Places! I have had a sneak peak at it and it truly will be a blessing for all who read it. Jake’s insights and easy way of conversation will make this book a treasure to be read and re-read. His book, A Resurrection Shaped Life: Dying and Rising on Planet Earth was another gem. I encourage you to order a copy and prepare to be inspired!
I’m excited to announce that my book Looking for God in Messy Places: A Book about Hope publishes in just six weeks! Here’s what Anne Lamott says: It’s available for preorder from your favorite web book provider or local bookstore. Click here to learn more. #LOOKINGFORGODBOOK
— Read on jakeowensby.com/2021/03/10/looking-for-god-2/
“Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But, conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.”—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Verse of the day Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
– 1 Peter 3:8
Voice of the day
In times of stress, the best thing we can do for our children (and for each other) is to listen with our ears and hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers. – Fred Rogers, You Are Special (1995)
Prayer of the day Loving, liberating God, grant us eyes to see past destruction and courage to repair the breaches in our societies. Help us center not just the stories but also the leadership of marginalized communities and people. Empower us to join hands, hearts, and heads with other visionaries despite theological and political categories. May the sword of your Spirit conquer all wickedness in high places and your light of hope shine bright. – By Rev. Sèkinah Hamlin
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Thank you for your presence this day, Lord
It has been a day of ministry and planning
A wonderful time of fellowship as well
An evening with my sweetheart and our puppy
Even some time to simply Be Still
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
