Tag Archives: justice

February 18, 2024 · 11:08 am

Follow the Solidarity with the Suffering Delegation to Palestine & Israel

My friend the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow is part of the Solidarity with the Suffering delegation to Palestine & Israel organized by the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He presents this list of ways to connect with the delegation and with Christian organizations in Israel & Palestine. .

CONNECT TO THE ISRAEL/PALESTINE MISSION NETWORK

CONNECT WITH THE REV. BRUCE REYES-CHOW

CONNECT WITH SABEEL

CONNECT WITH KAIROS PALESTINE

With gratitude to those who are participating in solidarity and a witness for justice and peace, here is a prayer.

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February 17, 2024 · 2:18 pm

A prayer for the Solidarity with the Suffering delegation

Find the Statement of Purpose Here

In response to a call from Christian partners in Palestine-Israel (Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and Kairos Palestine), a delegation of thirty-five people, mostly Presbyterians, have begun a solidarity visit to Palestine and Israel. The Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN) of the PC(USA) organized the delegation. Find reports on the IPMN blog.

A prayer for the Solidarity with the Suffering delegation
God of all peoples,
God who creates us for peace,
God who calls us to pursue justice,
we thank you for people
who live into hope
by working and witnessing 
for justice and peace in Israel and Palestine,
and particularly in Gaza.
For those who write emails, postcards, and letters,
those who make phone calls,
those who participate in demonstrations,
those who talk to families and friends,
those who build relationships with others,
those who make a pilgrimage to speak to elected representatives in Washington,
and all who pursue justice and peace in ways
we do not know,
we give you thanks.
We thank you for people 
who visit Palestine and Israel
to listen, to learn, to stand in solidarity.
Particularly we thank you 
for the participants in the
Presbyterian delegation:
Solidarity with the Suffering.
Bless their witness.
Guide their experiences.
May their efforts for justice and for peace
ripple across the church and the world.
Keep the participants safe.
Keep safe the siblings they encounter.
Lead us all to work for justice and for peace
as we are able.
We pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

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February 3, 2024 · 2:08 pm

A prayer of thanks for simple acts

We thank you, God.

In a wounded world
filled with hate and violence,
in a broken world
where exclusion and oppression appear so strong,
in a weary world
too well acquainted with fear,
still we thank you, God.

We thank you for simple acts of
random kindness,
organized justice,
creative resistance,
radical love,
and unquenchable hope.

We thank you for
people in whose actions we see:
Good news proclaimed,
letters written,
dogs adopted,
students counseled,
calls made,
parrots rescued,
food shared,
conversations initiated,
hats crocheted,
committees served,
respect demonstrated,
demonstrations attended,
conflict de-escalated,
sorrow shared,
meals organized,
care extended,
laughter enjoyed,

insert other simple acts
you have experienced or heard about
acts that touch your heart
and feed your spirit

for these and
all the simple acts
we have known
and those we will never know,
we thank you, God.

Pour your Holy Spirit
afresh upon us,
that we too may practice
random kindness,
organized justice,
creative resistance,
radical love,
and unquenchable hope.

This day.
Every day.

We pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

inspired by a dinner conversation with
the General Assembly Committee on Representation o
f the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

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December 25, 2023 · 2:17 pm

24 December 2023 – The Christmas Truce

No focused exercise.
The 1914 Christmas Truce.
Snoopy’s Christmas – The Royal Guardsmen
Christmas Truce – Sabaton
Pipes of Peace – Paul McCartney
1914, the Carol of Christmas – Military Voices & Abby Scott, feat. Flt Lt Matt Little, the RAF Spitfire Choir & William Inscoe
Let the Truce Be Known – Orphaned Land
Christmas 1914 – John McDermott
It Could Happen Again – Colin Raye
All Together Now – The Farm
Christmas True of 1914 – Joyce Cooling
The Christmas True – Carol Dowgiallo & Bob Dowgiallo
Ode to the Christmas Truce of 1914 – Marshall Hattersley
Christmas Truce – Fenya
The Christmas Truce – Gloucester Cathedral Choir, Adrian Partington, Jonathan Hope, Sacha Fullerton, Jack Parry, Deryck Webb & Nicholas Perfect
Christmas in the Trenches – John McCutcheon
Silent Night/Stille Nacht – John McCutcheon

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April 9, 2023 · 7:33 pm

And yet

Much like any morning
garbage dumped
coffee made
coffee consumed
dishwasher runs
dryer spins

and yet

with the dawn
comes anew the awareness that
grace abides
hope abounds
love lives
mercy multiplies
justice beckons

for Christ is risen,
risen indeed,
making this day,
and every day,
holy.
Alleluia.

8:45 AM, 9 April 2023
There is poetic license at work here. The closest I came to seeing dawn this Easter day is in some photos of the sunrise service at Second Presbyterian Church in Baltimore that my son Eric took. One of those photos appears in this post.

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April 1, 2023 · 2:42 pm

31 March 2023 – Love Rising

Playlist based on the Love Rising concert in Nashville. Thanks to Laura and Jess for helping me find Ann Powers’ Spotify playlist which served as the basis for this list.
You’re Not Alone – Allison Russell, feat. Brandie Carlile
The Village – Wrabel
Hard to Make a Stand – Sheryl Crow
Going to Hell – Adeem the Artist
Burn This Statehouse Down – Mya Byrne & Paisley Fields, feat. Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo, Swan Real, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Chris Kelly, Sandy Loam & Scott Wolfson and Other Heroes
History Repeats – Brittany Howard
Faith Healer – Julien Baker
We’re All Gonna Die – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan
The Middle – Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Pluto – John Wesley Rogers
Hold On – Yola & The Highwomen, feat. Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile & Natalie Hembey
Let Me Be – Fancy Hagood & Devon Gilfillian
Nina Cried Power, feat. Mavis Staples
What’ve I Done to Help – Jason Isabell and the 400 Unit
All of This Beauty – Izzy Heltai
Inordinary – Haley Wiukuans
Take It Like a Man – Amanda Shires
I Got My Head Made Up – Instant Funk
Crowded Table – The Highwomen
I Am America – Shea Diamond
Queen for Tonight – Asia O’Hara
On a Sunday – Autumn Nicholas
Bible Belt – Chris Housman
Welcome to Chambers County – Brady Riley
Dying on the Vine – Harper Grae
Stand in the Light – Brody Ray
Taxiderny – Jeff Holden
Maybe Possibly – Ally Free
Sober – Carmen – Carmen Dianne
Swamp Witch – She Returns from War
Under the Milky Way – Lilly Hiatt
blood – Kaitlin Butts
Last Night Was Good for My Soul – The Shindellas
Hard Life – Aaron Lee Tasjan
Loving Her – Katie Pruitt
Catch This Love – Mila Jam
Drag Queens in Limousines – Mary Gauthier
Better Than We Found It – Maren Morris
For Judas – Adeem the Artist
Take Me to Church – Hozier
Cover Me Up – Jason Isbell

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March 18, 2023 · 11:39 am

St. Patrick’s Day

I speak for no others,

only for myself.

For me, this day has

nothing to do with

green beer or

green rivers or

green clothing,

this day has nothing to do with

pinching me or kissing me;

my bad jokes aside,

this day has nothing to do even with Jameson.

Today is a day

to remember oppression

to honor resistance

to recognize that, despite the efforts of

systems of race and racialization

to separate us,

struggles for dignity and justice,

freedom and equality,

human rights and humanity

are inseparably linked:

none of us are free until all of us are free.

for that reason, in that spirit, and in my own fashion,

I mark this day, and each 17th of March.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Fitzgerald, from County Cork, on my mother’s side

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February 5, 2023 · 1:44 pm

A prayer for us all

Remind me, God,

that I am your Beloved Child.

When I fall short,

I am your Beloved Child.

When I go astray,

I am your Beloved Child.
When I make mistakes,

I am your Beloved Child.

When I embarrass myself,

I am your Beloved Child.

When I act with kindness and grace,

I am your Beloved Child.

When I work for justice,

I am your Beloved Child.

When I walk humbly with you,

I am your Beloved Child.

When I am loved and when I love,

I am your Beloved Child.

In all things,

I am your Beloved Child.

In all circumstances,

I am your Beloved Child.

Today, tomorrow, and forever,

remind me, God,

that I am, and always will be,

your Beloved Child.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen.

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December 25, 2022 · 7:49 am

AdventWord 2022 – December 25 – #Emmanuel

Emmanuel. God with us. If God is with us, any photo would work to express Emmanuel. I chose several that show working for justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God by visiting elected representatives, advocating, making a public witness, and amplifying other voices.

Photo 1 – New York delegation at Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2019, Washington, DC.

Photo 2 – Advocacy postcards for immigration justice, Whitestone, NY – 2018

Photo 3 – Standing Rock, SD – 2016

Photo 4 – Whitestone, NY – 2015

Photo 5 – Louisville, Ky – May 1, 2021

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December 24, 2022 · 2:10 pm

24 December 2022 – The Christmas Truce

Walking. Apartment.
The 1914 Christmas Truce.
Snoopy’s Christmas – The Royal Guardsmen
Christmas Truce – Sabaton
Pipes of Peace – Paul McCartney
1914, the Carol of Christmas – Military Voices & Abby Scott, feat. Flt Lt Matt Little, the Raf Spitfire Choir & William Inscoe
Let the Truce Be Known – Orphaned Land
Christmas 1914 – John McDermott
It Could Happen Again – Colin Raye
All Together Now – The Farm
Christmas True of 1914 – Joyce Cooling
The Christmas True – Carol Dowgiallo & Bob Dowgiallo
Ode to the Christmas Truce of 1914 – Marshall Hattersley
Christmas Truce – Fenya
The Christmas Truce – Gloucester Cathedral Choir, Adrian Partington, Jonathan Hope, Sacha Fullerton, Jack Parry, Deryck Webb & Nicholas Perfect
Christmas in the Trenches – John McCutcheon
Silent Night/Stille Nacht – John McCutcheon

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