Seeking Authentic Voice

The Sunday after Senator Gabbi Giffords was shot, in a mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, I went to church hoping to hear some reflection on that violence. However the preacher that morning did not address it in his sermon, although Giffords and the other victims were lifted up in the Prayers of the People. Still, I found the lack of comment in the sermon to be unsettling, it taught me that as priests and preachers we need to be willing to address the tragedies and current events in the context of the scripture readings, to place the confusion and horror and sorrow in the history of God's action in the world.  So it was a bit of challenge for me to figure out how to address the recent killings of two more black men and the mass shooting of police officers in Dallas in the context of our planned summer sermon time. We had planned to hold congregational dialogues in our sermon time. My concern was that people would skirt the issue rather than face it head on. I wanted to facilita...

Prayers of the People, a litany in response to violence in the world Presider   As we strive to be the means through which God’s grace spreads among us, let us offer prayers for the families, friends and victims of the Orlando shooting, the whole world and for every person in every need. Leader For every gathering, for the safety of all people. Silence For all nations, peoples, tribes, clans, and families. Silence For an end to the violence that plagues our nation and our world. For sin of prejudice: race, gender, ethnicity, religion and every form and way it manifests in ourselves, our institutions, our religions, and our society. Silence For mercy, justice, and peace throughout the world. Silence For the city of Orlando, this city and for every place. Silence For all those in danger and need: the sick and the suffering, the hungry and the oppressed, travelers and prisoners, the dying and the dead, especia...