This week we are all aware of so much suffering in the world. Victims of airliner crashes, families in fear of bombs falling on them in Israel-Palestine, the ongoing wars in Syria, Ukraine, and the shameful prison conditions of nearly 60,000 children caught on southern border. In the gospel passage from Matthew 13 this week we are admonished to not get overzealous about ripping up “weeds” in the midst of the wheat, lest the good crop be damaged. Rev. Kent preached forcefully about the ways we are too prone to misidentify the problem as ours and not God’s, and by taking judgment into our own hands commit great destruction.
This week we join with a national network of churches including the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist, the Presbyterian Church USA and several others, in praying for the children currently held in US detention camps along our borders. Efforts to assist with housing, foster care, schooling, and health have been largely spearheaded by faithful churches and we want to be a part of that good work. We cannot sort weeds from wheat at this point and trying to prevent the decent care of children arrested is the return to core Christian principles that give our faith meaning. Overwhelming as the problems may be, this quote sent to us by Dorothy Chao is a good reminder.
“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work. But neither are you free to abandon it.” — from the Talmud
Here then is the prayer for the week written by Rev. Kent and prayed this morning by Stephanie Woodie: for all it’s worries, complexities, and competing needs. May God strengthen us all to love mercy more.
We have two prayers, Lord: First don’t let us get paralyzed by the astonishing complexity of our world. Help us not shut down and do nothing because we can’t do everything. Second, hear us when we ask for the moral strength to refrain from our righteous indignation whenever it crosses the border into judgment and extirpation. We aren’t good at that. We make mistakes, we don’t have the whole picture, we want simple answers. In our world, in our politics, in our families, keep us from pulling up the wheat with the weeds.
When we pray “give us our daily bread,” we mean not just us. And when we pray “forgive us our sins” we include the sin of thinking that there are unforgiveable ones that we must take upon ourselves to punish. And when we pray “lead us not into temptation,” let it be the temptation to abandon compassionate sense and walk away from risk-taking love that we mean. Help us hold on to these and all the other important, subversive, savvy graces your Son taught us. We pray like him; we would like to act like him. Help us in our hurt and healing, Lord.
We pray to you as our Mother, our maker, and Our Father who art in heaven…
Contributions for support of churches helping in the crisis can be made to Union Church with “Immigrant Children” in the memo line. You can click on the “Donate” Button on any page to make a contribution by e-check, credit or debit card. You can also text message a contribution.
For more information on the refugee crisis please visit
http://www.ucc.org/news/moment-of-prayer-unaccompanied-refugees-07182014.html
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