Do you hear it? The cry of the oppressed? It would be easy to miss in our rush to get to the story of the call of Moses, but we must ensure that, first of all, we hear the cry of the suffering Hebrew people kept as slaves by the Egyptian Pharaoh (Exodus 2:23). The… Read More
Sunday Prayer: every minute of every day
In the name of Christ,
the Messiah,
hear our prayers, O God!
Each and every minute
of each and every day
our faith is tested … Read More
Wednesday Prayer
Thank you for the reminders along life’s journey Forgive us for the ones we chose to ignore today May your Holy Spirit continue to disrupt our dreams with images of justice, love and equity and transform our apathy into compassion and kindness and may tomorrow not be too late. Amen. ********* Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
On this day, dear God, As we seek rest As we seek peace As we seek love As we seek justice As we seek joy As we seek wholeness As we seek liberation … May we be rest for the weary and those constantly profiled May we be peace in moments of anxiety and fear… Read More
Sunday Prayer: How the Mighty Have Fallen
Your glory, O God, stands triumphantin high places and low,in mountains and valleys,across rivers and oceans that once bled.How the mighty have fallen from their thrones!How the satisfied have been reduced to hunger!How the fortresses have crumbled to piecesbefore the powerful wind of your whisper! Your voice, O God, has heaped hot coalsupon the evil… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: All Day, Everyday!
Warning…this may seem like a rant. However, I feel the need to share my recent experience as an example of why this particular blog space is so vital. Too often, many think of pastor OR prophet. Sometimes we even describe someone as both pastor AND prophet. I believe that the role and responsibility of prophet… Read More
RCL: The Way of Kings or the Way of God?
Summer is officially here when the RCL gives us a choice between the thematic and the continuous readings from the Hebrew Bible. I don’t know about you, but I’m not quit prepared to make that choice this year. I feel like I am running a few steps behind, like I’m still in Lent, or maybe… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: Six Weeks of Summer in the Psalms
The Narrative Lectionary runs each year from September to Pentecost which means that the summer break can be spent preaching on other things. One option this year is to spend 6 weeks in the Book of Psalms. We don’t often preach the psalms, usually preferring to sing them instead. In my tradition, we sing many… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
Creator God, I hear the birds outside my window and they remind me that the Word promised that you love me just as you love them. Thank you, God! I pray that today, I may be attuned to your creative messages of power, love, and justice in order to drown out the sounds of hate,… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: What, no palm branches? (Luke 19:28-44)
In times gone by, my usual practice would have been to allow the liturgy and hymns, the marching with palm leaves and the singing of “Hosanna”, to speak most loudly on Palm Sunday. However, in their absence (due to Covid restrictions this year), there is both a need and an opportunity to take a closer… Read More
