Black History Month.
Walking. Arroyo. La Cueva Neighborhood. Stretching.
Let America Be America Again – by Langston Hughes – James Earl Jones
Rise Up – Andra Day
You Don’t Have to Ride Jim Crow! – Bayard Rustin
Fight for Your Mind – Ben Harper
AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM – Beyoncé
That’s the Way God Planned It – Billy Preston
If I Could Help Somebody – The Blind Boys of Alabama
Hands Up – Blood Orange
History Repeats – Brittany Howard
Young, Gifted and Black – Aretha Franklin
This Is America – Childish Gambino
Black America Again – Common, feat. Stevie Wonder
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) – Marvin Gaye
Woke Up This Morning – Fannie Lou Hamer
Wade In the Water – The Fisk Jubilee Singers
Everytime I Feel the Spirit -The Florida A&M University Concert Choir
Ain’t No New Thing – Gil Scott-Heron
Deep River – The Howard University Chamber Choir
Sloganize, Patronize, Realize, Revolutionize (Black Lives Matters) – Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra & Wynton Marsalis
People Gotta Be Free – Keb’ Mo’
Keep Your Hand On the Plow – Mahalia Jackson
Blood Done Sign My Name – Mary D Williams
Eyes on the Prize – Mavis Staples
Strange Fruit – Nina Simone
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child – Odetta
Go Down, Moses – Paul Robeson
We March – Prince
Oh Freedom – The Princely Players
We Rise – Rhiannon Giddens
Precious Lord – Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Beautiful Struggle – Talib Kweli
You’re Not Alone – Our Native Daughters
Step By Step – Sweet Honey In The Rock
A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
God Bless the Child – Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
I Know Where I’ve Been – Queen Latifah
Grandma’s Hands -Bill Withers
Respect – Otis Redding
What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
We Are Each Others Angels – African Children’s Choir
I’ve Got Dreams To Remember – Angélique Kidjo
What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Lift Every Voice and Sing – The Boys Choir of Harlem
Category Archives: Current Events
01 February 2026
Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Current Events, Friends, Music, playlist
A prayer in the time of ICE
God of justice,
God for all people,
after my daily calls are made,
and my morning emails sent,
I pause to give thanks
for all in Minnesota,
and Albuquerque,
and Maine,
and places I do not know
who
mourn and weep,
pray and meditate,
organize and strategize,
march and walk,
cogitate and agitate,
disrupt and interrupt,
blow whistles and whistleblow,
boycott and purchase,
stand up and speak out,
demonstrate and advocate,
write and illustrate,
knit and paint,
draw and create,
sing and play,
resist and act in ways
beyond my limited understanding
and pale imagination
for a society, a country, a world
where everyone is welcome,
everyone is included,
everyone is loved,
diversity is cherished,
equity is achieved,
and justice flows
for each person.
Keep them safe.
Grant them strength.
Guide their feet.
Bless their efforts.
I pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Filed under Current Events, Human Rights, Prayer
Credo del Inmigrante (The Immigrant’s Creed)
With profound thanks to the author, mi hermano he Rev. José Luis Casal.
December 18 is International Migrants Day. This seems an appropriate day to reflect upon Credo del Inmigrante (The Immigrant’s Creed) by the Rev. José Luis Casal.
“Credo del Inmigrante,” José Luis Casal
Creo en Dios Todopoderoso, quien guió a su pueblo durante el éxodo y en el exilio, el Dios de José en Egipto y de Daniel en Babilonia, el Dios de los extranjeros y los inmigrantes.
Creo en Jesucristo, el galileo desplazado, que nació lejos de su hogar y de su gente, que tuvo que huir de su país con sus padres porque su vida corría peligro, y cuando regresó del exilio, tuvo que sufrir la opresión del tirano Poncio Pilato, servidor de un imperio extranjero; que fue perseguido, injuriado y finalmente torturado; fue acusado y condenado a muerte en un juicio injusto. Sin embargo, al tercer día ese Jesús despreciado resucitó de la muerte, no como extranjero sino para ofrecernos la ciudadanía de los cielos.
Creo en el Espíritu Santo, el Inmigrante eterno del Reino de Dios entre nosotros, quien habla todas las lenguas, habita en todos los países y reúne a todas las razas.
Creo en la Iglesia como un hogar seguro para todo extranjero y creyente, donde hablamos un mismo idioma y tenemos el mismo propósito.
Creo que la Comunión de los Santos comienza cuando aceptamos la Diversidad de los Santos.
Creo en el perdón que nos hace a todos iguales, y en la reconciliación que nos identifica mucho más que la raza, el idioma o la nacionalidad.
Creo que Dios en la Resurrección nos reúne a todos como un solo pueblo en el que todos somos distintos, pero iguales al mismo tiempo.
Creo en la Vida Eterna más allá de este mundo, en la cual nadie será inmigrante, sino todos ciudadanos del Reino de Dios que no tendrá fin.
Amén
The Immigrant’s Creed – José Luis Casal
I believe in almighty God, who guided his people in exile and in exodus, the God of Joseph in Egypt and of Daniel in Babylon, the God of foreigners and immigrants.
I believe in Jesus Christ a displaced Galilean, who was born away from his people and his home, who fled his country with his parents when his life was in danger, and returning to his own country suffered the oppression of the tyrant Pontius Pilate, the servant of a foreign power. He was persecuted, beaten, and finally tortured, accused and condemned to death unjustly. But on the third day, this scorned Jesus rose from the dead, not as a foreigner but to offer us citizenship in heaven.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the eternal immigrant from God’s kingdom among us, who speaks all languages, lives in all countries, and reunites all races.
I believe that the church is the secure home for the foreigner and for all believers who constitute it, who speaks the same language and have the same purpose.
I believe that the communion of saints begins when we accept the diversity of the saints.
I believe in the forgiveness of sin, which makes us all equal, and in reconciliation, which identifies us more than does race, language or nationality.
I believe that in the resurrection, God will unite us as one people in which all are distinct, and all are alike at the same time.
Beyond this world, I believe in life eternal in which no one will be an immigrant, but all will be citizens of God’s Kingdom which will never end. Amen.
Any, no, all
Any human can do hurtful, harmful things.
Any human.
Any human can perform cruel, evil acts.
Any human.
Any human can break a law.
Any human.
But …
no human is illegal.
No human.
No human is garbage.
No human.
And …
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
All humans.
All humans are unique.
All humans.
All humans are precious.
All humans.
All humans deserve respect.
All humans.
All humans deserve dignity.
All humans.
All humans deserve love.
All humans.
Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Human Rights, United Nations
Gift of diversity
Shifting population demographics represent the diverse human family which God creates and loves. They are not signs of replacement nor do they threaten civilizational erasure. They invite us to live more fully the life God intends for us. They are a gift.
Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Human Rights
A prayer to find home
On this day
and every day,
may each heart,
may every heart,
find some place,
find some people,
to call home.
Amen.
Filed under Current Events, Family, Friends, Prayer
A prayer for nurses
Creative, Holy God,
in whom we live and move and have our being,
we ask for healing for those who are ill.
Bless the professionals who
participate with you in healing.
Particularly we pray for nurses.
We rejoice in the gifts the Holy Spirit
bestows upon those who engage in nursing work.
We give thanks for the care they provide.
We are grateful for their professionalism.
compassion and commitment.
For their willingness to work
long hours in strenuous conditions,
we stand in awe.
For the ways in which nurses
enter into the lives of your children
at difficult, painful moments,
we give you praise.
Bless nurses who have touched our lives
and nurses we have never met.
Grant wisdom, grant courage, grant strength,
grant all that is needed for the living of their days
and the fulfillment of their calling.
We pray in the name of Jesus,
who healed people of sickness of body and spirit.
Amen.
Filed under Current Events, Friends
A prayer for those impacted by Typhoon Kalmaegi
God of the seas,
God of the wind,
we pray for the people of
the Philippines, Vietnam,
and all places impacted
by Typhoon Kalmaegi.
Comfort all who mourn
the death of loved ones.
Work healing in all
who were injured.
Guide first responders,
medical care providers,
rescue workers, and all
who respond to the
damage caused by the typhoon.
Draw communities closer together
to care for one another.
inspire the international community
to respond in helpful ways.
Lead all people around the world
to consider how our living
might impact typhoons and other storms
and to make changes that might
lessen our impact.
As another storm may be forming,
we ask you
to calm the sea and
to still the wind.
We pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Filed under Current Events, Prayer
A prayer for Louisville
You may or may not know, that I lived in Louisville for 14 years, Tricia for 7 years. When I said I lived in Louisville, people in other places would respond, “There’s a horse race, right?” or maybe “Kentucky Derby!”. Some thought of bourbon. But the largest employer in Louisville is the UPS Worldport with about 25,000 people directly employed and many others employed in other places because of its presence.
As my friend the Rev. Gradye Parsons, former Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), says, “this is a city family tragedy.”
Please continue to pray for Louisville and its people.
Gracious God,
we pray for your beloved children
killed or injured in the plane crash in Louisville.
We pray for those who work
at UPS, at the Muhammed Ali airport,
at the businesses where the crash occurred
and the fire raged.
We pray for the people of
the city and the metro area
impacted by the crash –
because they heard or felt the explosion,
because they saw, live or in images,
the fireball and the smoke cloud;
because they had to shelter in place;
because they worried about
family and friends who were near the crash;
because they are community and
what affects one of your beloved children
affects all of your beloved children.
Bring peace and comfort to grieving families and friends.
Grant strength to first responders
who experienced up close the crash’s horror.
Guide those who continue to work at the crash site.
Work healing in the injured In body, mind, or spirit.
Lead medical personnel who provided, and continue to provide,
to join in your healing care.
May your Holy Spirit surround the greater Louisville community
with Your light and love in this moment of sorrow.
We pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
inspired by a prayer from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Filed under Current Events, Friends, Louisville, Prayer
No one should carry hunger or hardship alone
From the Presbyterian Hunger Program:
When times are hard, asking for help shouldn’t come with shame. We all deserve access to nourishing, culturally appropriate food, and the care of community.
If you or someone you know needs support, there are tools that can help you find nearby food pantries, meal programs, and other local resources:
Food pantries, meal programs, and other local resources
– Visit Feeding America’s “Find Your Local Food Bank” www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank and enter your ZIP code to locate a food bank in your community.
– Use the Food Finder map to explore nearby food pantries, including addresses and hours. https://foodfinder.us
– You can also visit www.findhelp.org to search for food programs and other community resources.
Phone assistance:
– Call or text 211 to connect with a local specialist who can help you find food assistance and other support services in your area.
– National Hunger Hotline – Call 1-866-3HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) for help locating nearby meal sites, food banks, and social service programs.
Transportation issues:
– Many people experiencing hunger also face transportation barriers that make accessing grocery stores and food pantries difficult or impossible. DoorDash is rolling out an “Emergency Food Response” in reaction to the potential disruption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. They will deliver 1 million meals for free through their “Project DASH” network of 300+ foodbanks and pantries nationwide. Learn more here: https://about.doordash.com/…/snap-shutdown-announcement
Congregational Support:
– Local or regional foundations – especially those suited to long-term sustaining of feeding programs and social services. Find possibilities in your area at https://cof.org/page/community-foundation-locator .
– Manual of Best Practices for Food Pantries from Indy Hunger Network – https://www.indyhunger.org/…/Manual-of-Best-Practices…
– Food Sovereignty for All Handbook – https://pcusa.org/resource/food-sovereignty-all
Remember, community care means none of us have to carry hunger or hardship alone.
Filed under Current Events, Food, Human Rights, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Along the Graybeard Trail 