O God of raging firesO Jesus, who looted the TempleO Spirit found amongst grief and protestWe come before you in anguish We remember this weekend the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit roared into that upper room and breathed new languages on the tongues of the apostles. It’s a time of celebration for the church,Continue reading “A Prayer for Pentecost #BlackLivesMatter”
Tag Archives: prayer
“Go to the Limits of Your Longing” by Rainer Maria Rilke
God speaks to each of us as we are made,then walks with us silently out of the night. These are the words we dimly hear:You, sent out beyond your recall,go to the limits of your longing. Embody me. Flare up like a flameand make big shadows I can move in. Let everything happen to you:beautyContinue reading ““Go to the Limits of Your Longing” by Rainer Maria Rilke”
a people’s history of prayer: gwendolyn brooks
The Preacher Ruminates Behind the Sermon I think it must be lonely to be God. Nobody loves a master. No. Despite The bright hosannas, bright dear-Lords, and bright Determined reverence of Sunday eyes. Picture Jehovah striding through the hall Of His importance, creatures running out From servant-corners to acclaim, to shout Appreciation of His merit’sContinue reading “a people’s history of prayer: gwendolyn brooks”
a people’s history of prayer: james baldwin
Untitled Lord, when you send the rain, think about it, please, a little? Do not get carried away by the sound ofContinue reading “a people’s history of prayer: james baldwin”
a people’s history of prayer: an introduction
Ever since I first heard of A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn, I have been fascinated with the series. Most recently I read An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. Her thoughtful prose and love for the subject has filled me with such intrigue and sorrowContinue reading “a people’s history of prayer: an introduction”
a prayer for justice
Oh God of this world and universe, You constantly surprise us. You bring about life where there is only death. You sing to us sweet melodies that comfort those despairing. And you guide us with hope. The horrific acts these past few days have made our hearts heavy. There was a bombing of a ColoradoContinue reading “a prayer for justice”
my prayer for ferguson, brooklyn, and the school of the americas watch
This weekend, a group of students from Union Theological Seminary and myself travelled to Columbus, GA. We gathered with over 1,000 others to protest for the closing of the School of the Americas (SOA). For nearly 70 years, the SOA has trained soldiers in South and Central America in starting coups, mass murdering los campesinos (poorContinue reading “my prayer for ferguson, brooklyn, and the school of the americas watch”
somewhere between prayer and revolution
The Flobots penned this lyric, in my title, in the opening line of “Same Thing.” The lyrics continue with “between Jesus and Huey P. Newton.” And on this particular Sunday in the month of October, we find ourselves holding these same tensions. This weekend is #fergusonoctober and I am grateful that many of my peers fromContinue reading “somewhere between prayer and revolution”
prayer for a people in the throes of martyrdom
This prayer is from Fernando Bermúdez’ Death and Resurrection in Guatemala (1986, pgs 74-75). Its words resonate with my holy longing for social justice in America. I updated some of the language and emphasized where I thought was appropriate. Lord, may your Gospel be for me not a book, but Good News, lived and shared. MayContinue reading “prayer for a people in the throes of martyrdom”
snowden, leaks, and the us empire
Thank goodness for the recent discussions of surveillance in the US. I find them simultaneously encouraging and missing the point. The Powers-that-be are currently struggling to give answers for these recent leaks. The internet has become so dangerous that one Pentagon official said “We have developed a full range of capabilities to operate in the cyber-domain, butContinue reading “snowden, leaks, and the us empire”
black flag theology 