Monday, June 22, 2015

We pray for our sisters, our brothers

We pray for the breach of the circle,
for the innocents lost, and
the grief of their loved ones.
Lord, draw near to them;
Lord, hear our collective prayer.

Lord, we rage against the tragedy
of hate against those You love;
May Your will be done,
May You work your perfect will,
even in the midst of this chaos.

We grieve for those who were lost;
but we know they are like those
under the altar, the righteous
those struck down in faith
those whose fears are eased by God.

May the lives of the martyrs be remembered
and the lives they sought to reach be uplifted
long after this tragedy is over;
May their work and their memory be a legacy
a further calling on our own lives.

Oh God, in Your infinite mercy, we pray
that You would heal this breach,
the brokenness within the shooter; we pray
that you would reach him in his place of darkness
and show him Your mercy.

As incomprehensible as it may be for us,
We join with loved ones of victims and ask
for Your forgiveness and change,
for transformation in this young man
and for peace and healing for his family.

Almighty God we do not understand
we cannot fathom how this tragedy happened
that nine of your faithful were lost by one
who is so very lost;
Heal him Lord, we pray.

We fall before You Almighty God;
we confess that we are guilty of racism and prejudice.
Lord change our hearts individually and
change us collectively,
to truly love as You loved us.

We have not loved our
neighbors as ourselves
much less as you loved us.
We repent of the truth
of our racism and prejudice

Convict us Lord to see our manifold failings;
change us tonight this minute
to more faithfully walk
as your servants here and now
in this time and place.

Shine your light into truth of our white privilege
so we may see with eyes of Jesus
how we should change to be your children
We try to change on our own;
but we are blind to our own failings

We hold worship services of repentance
about indigenous people, asking for Your forgiveness;
but neglected to include them
within the circle; we have loved ones of color
but we have no words to combat racism.

We begin with prayers of confession for ourselves.
For the times when I have not picked up
a person of color hitchhiking I repent Lord.
For the times when I have gone to the
other side of the street I repent Lord

Forgive us when we do not act,
when we do not march,
when we say "It isn't my fight",
turning a blind eye to injustice and pain.
Change us Lord; may Your will be done.

=====
edited June 29, 2015
We pray for our sisters, our brothers – v2
June 28, 2015
Danforth United Methodist Church
Scripture Readings
Psalm  130:1-8
2 Samuel 1: 19, 23-27                           
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Lamentations 3:22-33
2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15, 2:23-24
message: “That Good May Come Out of Evil”
by Raymond A. Foss
New England Annual Conference Resolution on shooting in Charleston
speech 6/23/2015
South Carolina State Senator Paul Thurmond (R), son of former South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, remarks on Confederate Flag. Paul Thurmond remarks on Confederate Flag.
Mark 4:4-8 (bible study topic on 6/17/2015 at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church)
&
I forgive you  statements of victims’ family – Nadine Collier, Anthony Thompson, Felicia Sanders
&
Hate Won’t Win campaign
&
Jon Stewart’s June 18, 2015 opening monologue on Charleston shooting
&
The funeral for the Reverend Clementa Pinkney 6/26/15
&
President Barack Obama’s Eulogy (video and full text)
&
June 22, 2015
We pray for our sisters, our brothers
@dreamUMC #dreamumc tweetup on Charleston shooting
Guest Preacher Thom White Wolf Fassett
COMMENTARY: 2012 Act of Repentance of The United Methodist Church
Recap of Thursday sessions
Act of Repentance
by Pat Warrior Woman Parent
&
article about Native Americans pulling out of Maine Legislature
May 30, 2015
&
June 27, 2015
help us to understand history
edited June 27, 2015
like a glass plate shattered – v2
edited June 27, 2015
Together within this Circle – v3
(merging edits to original and version 2)
edited/ new name confronting our past, our present, our hate
June 26, 2015
June 26, 2015
confronting our past, our present
edited June 26, 2015
listening to the people of the earth – v4
(editing version 3)
New England Annual Conference Resolution on shooting in Charleston
&
speech 6/23/2015
South Carolina State Senator Paul Thurmond (R), son of former South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, remarks on Confederate Flag. Paul Thurmond remarks on Confederate Flag.
Mark 4:4-8 (bible study topic on 6/17/2015 at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church)
&
I forgive you  statements of victims’ family – Nadine Collier, Anthony Thompson, Felicia Sanders
&
Jon Stewart’s June 18, 2015 opening monologue on Charleston shooting
&
The funeral for the Reverend Clementa Pinkney  6/26/15
&
President Barack Obama’s Eulogy (video and full text)
edited June 25, 2015
listening to the people of the earth – v3
(merging edits to original and version 2)
edited June 25, 2015
a word of healing – v2
edited June 24, 2015
listening to the people of the earth –v2
June 24, 2015
listening to the people of the earth
edited June 24, 2015
gathering mud – v2
June 24, 2015
gathering mud
 (adding other tags for creation story cross-reference)
Bible Study – Inspired by the Word
(on other creation stories)
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
June 23, 2015
&
June 23, 2015
may we be tied, united
June 23, 2015
may we be tied
June 23, 2015
living stones – 2
June 23, 2015
part of the body, of the circle
June 23, 2015
healing the breach
June 23, 2015
picking up the pieces
June 23, 2015
like a glass plate shattered
June 23, 2015
retying the threads
June 23, 2015
shooting within the circle
edited June 23, 2015
Together within this Circle – v2
&
June 22, 2015
We pray for our sisters, our brothers
@dreamUMC #dreamumc tweetup on Charleston shooting
June 22, 2015
&
June 22, 2015, typo corrected June 23, 2015
together within this circle
June 22, 2015
Come Holy Spirit
New England Conference of United Methodist Church
Annual Conference 2015 (#NEAC15)
worship guides
NEUMC Photos
my photos
Worship Director Marcia McFee
Guest Preacher Bishop Gregory Palmer
Guest Preacher Thom White Wolf Fassett
COMMENTARY: 2012 Act of Repentance of The United Methodist Church
Recap of Thursday sessions
Act of Repentance
by Pat Warrior Woman Parent
Recap of Friday sessions
extract of sermon
Bishop Palmer
Recap of Saturday sessions
bible study on Luke 10 (Good Samaritan)
led by Bishop Palmer
worship
Laity Address
by Janet O’Neill
opening prayer for morning session on Saturday, 6/20/15


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 38,100+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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