A Prayer as We Gather: Thank you, God of new beginnings, for the Class of 2021, with their “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” Born on the cusp of a new century, they have never known as their reality many of the constants we of earlier generations took for granted as permanent. As we learn from each other, we rejoice in the unifying truth central to all generations: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” Amen. (Mitchell Simpson, inspired by Psalm 124 and the poetry of Thomas Chisholm)
Morning Prayer: Same song, different verse, God. As with our spiritual forebears, the immigrant children of Israel who suffered as slave laborers in Egypt under a king who had never known Joseph or your promise to his Hebrew descendants, so today we cringe under leaders clearly unacquainted with God’s fierce, compassionate care for the voiceless poor. In our shared immigrant status as Americans, may we never denigrate the stranger at our door or “look at them with disgust and dread,” as the Egyptian masters despised the Hebrew children whose lineage includes Jesus, our Jewish Lord, who would never have tolerated forced human bondage or statues erected to honor those who defended it. We stand with our liberating Lord, who died at the hands of the state for his willingness to speak truth to power, and who loved us so well he taught us how to pray, saying…(Mitchell Simpson, inspired by Exodus 1)
Prayer of Confession: Forgive us, Lord, for dismissing apostle Paul’s encouraging counsel to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” Instead of being transformed into living, breathing bearers of other peoples’ burdens as Jesus directed, we have found it easier to erect cold statues of bronze and stone, defiantly conforming to an evil, stubborn defense of our fear-stoked past. In this holy place this very hour, we repent of every hidden bigotry, every sinister thought by which we have tacitly endorsed the evils of human slavery. Help us remove graven images erected in homage to a lost Confederate cause, replacing them in our hearts with the memory of our Savior bleeding and dying on cross in solidarity with every child of God hemmed in by hatred and violence. Amen.*(Mitchell Simpson, inspired by Romans 12)
Assurance of Pardon: Take heart, living statues of God’s redeeming grace, for there is good news. Even as Paul was chastening us “not to think of yourself more highly than you should,” he reminded us that God “has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you.” We who are followers of Jesus need fear no evil regime, for “we are one in the body of Christ and we belong to each other.” God has granted us different spiritual gifts with no strings attached, calling us out to passionately lead, embodying a cheerful mercy as we go marching onward. Thanks be to God for such a Savior and such a compelling calling!*(Mitchell Simpson, inspired by Romans 12)