Tag Archives: voting rights

A prayer about voting

I voted today in the 2026 midterm election. This prayer followed.

Thank you God,

for all the people

some known to us all

some known to some of us

some known only to you

who labored and toiled,

marched and advocated,

sang and prayed,

wrote and called,

registered and registered others,

endured prison and suffered beatings,

bled and died,

for the right to vote

for the people of the United States.

Thank you, God,

for all the people

some known to us all

some known to some of us

some known only to you

who currently work tirelessly

to protect and preserve

the right to vote.

Thank you, God,

for all the people

some known to us all

some known to some of us

some known only to you

who work the elections and the polls

to ensure that

we exercise our right to vote

and that elections are free and fair

and all can participate.

Guide us, God,

to honor those who have gone before us

and those present with us

by voting.

We pray in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Clearly the poll worker, who provided me with the sticker above after I voted and who I had never met before, had some sense of who I am. Like a cactus, I am prickly and difficult to eradicate.

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Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Current Events, New Mexico, Prayer

7 March 2025

Walking. Albuquerque.
60th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma.
Freedom Songs: Selma. Alabama provided a primary resource for the first part of the playlist.
Remembering courage and grace and faith.
Woke up This Morning – Sweet Honey in the Rock
Freedom Highway – Rhiannon Giddens
We Shall Not Be Moved – Marchers
This Little Light of Mine – Workers in Selma at Mass for Jimmie Lee Jackson
God Will Take Care of You – Hosea Williams and Marchers
Steal Away/Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen – Hosea Williams and Marchers
Come by Here – Marchers
Berlin Wall – Marchers
Oh, Freedom – Congregation of Brown Chapel
If You Miss Me from the Back of the Bus – Congregation of Brown Chapel
Which Side Are You On? – James Orange and Protestors
Everybody Wants Freedom – Demonstrators a March
Freedom Now – Demonstrators at March
Go Tell It on the Mountain – Demonstrators at March
Oh, Wallace – Band 1
Get on Board – Band 2
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round – Two Little Girls at March
We Shall Overcome – Workers in Selma at March
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round – James Orange and Youth
Which Side Are You On? – James Orange and Youth
Lonesome Valley – Bayard Rustin & James Farmer
Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen – Mahalia Jackson
I Want Jesus to Walk with Me -Fisk Jubilee Singers & Ruby Amanfu
Let Freedom Ring (The Ballad of John Lewis) – Dee Daniels
Still on the Bridge – Claudia Schmidt & Sally Rogers

Remembering D’Wayne Wiggins and Roy Ayers
The Blues – Tony! Toni! Toné!
Little Walter – Tony! Toni! Toné!
Feels Good – Tony! Toni! Toné!
It Never Rains (In Southern California) – Tony! Toni! Toné!
Whatever You Want – Tony! Toni! Toné!
Everybody Loves the Sunshine – Roy Ayers Ubiquity
Heat of the Beat – Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson
Running Away – Roy Ayers Ubiquity
Mystic Voyage – Roy Ayers Ubiquity
You’ve Got the Power -Roy Ayers
Black Family – Roy Ayers
And Then We Were One – Roy Ayers

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Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Current Events, Exercise, Human Rights, Music, New Mexico, playlist

7 March 2024

Anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma.
Remembering courage and grace and faith.
Woke up This Morning – Sweet Honey in the Rock
We Shall Not Be Moved – Marchers
This Little Light of Mine – Workers in Selma at Mass for Jimmie Lee Jackson
Freedom Highway – Rhianna Giddons
God Will Take Care of You – Hosea Williams and Marchers
Steal Away/Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen – Hosea Williams and Marchers
Come by Here – Marchers
Berlin Wall – Marchers
Oh, Freedom – Congregation of Brown Chapel
If You Miss Me from the Back of the Bus – Congregation of Brown Chapel
Which Side Are You On? – James Orange and Protestors
Everybody Wants Freedom – Demonstrators a March
Freedom Now – Demonstrators at March
Go Tell It on the Mountain – Demonstrators at March
Oh, Wallace – Band 1
Get on Board – Band 2
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round – Two Little Girls at March
We Shall Overcome – Workers in Selma at March
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round – James Orange and Youth
Which Side Are You On? – James Orange and Youth
Lonesome Valley – Bayard Rustin & James Farmer
Glory – Common and John Legend

Freedom Songs: Selma. Alabama provided a primary resource for this playlist.

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Filed under Antiracism, Music, playlist

Advocacy Training Day 2019

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The Advocacy Training Weekend, held this year on April 5 through 8 in Washington, DC, consists of three parts. A training day for Presbyterians by the Compassion, Peace, and Justice Ministry Area.  Ecumenical Advocacy Days. And visits to elected representatives to advocate for justice. This year’s advocacy focused on protecting voting rights and working for peace in fragile countries. The weekend is a wonderful time for networking with old colleagues and meeting new friends.

This year had the added treat that my daughter-in-law, Essie Koenig-Reinke, attended.

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Filed under Current Events, Family, Human Rights, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)