On Epiphany, January 6, a day rightly dedicated to the discovery of the Christ-child, our national identity, trust and conscience were simultaneously exposed and violated by the tragic violence at our Capitol. In response, I have been asked to write a prayer from a purple church. That is a prayer from a congregation where liberal people, conservative people and people somewhere in between worship, pray and serve their neighbors together. My wife (a teacher teaching from home), our teenage children (learning from home) and I (working from home) watched the events necessitating this prayer in real time like many of you. There is no gray area when violence begins, no gray area when hatred is on display. We found ourselves lamenting in real time. On occasions of lament, it is right to pray. And while prayer alone is not all the work to do, it is a faithful place to start. O Lord, hear our prayer: Dismay. Shock. Lament. How did it come to this? Almighty God, we confess the … [Read more...]

Dear God as we celebrate this Epiphany week, when Christ was made manifest as your gift to all the world, we pray for clear and obvious signs of your presence among us today. O Lord, as the events of the world cause my strength to waiver, remind me that you are my strength. O Lord as the daily worries of life raise my anxieties, remind me that in you I find my peace. O Lord when voices try to convince me otherwise, may you remind me that I am your child, fearfully and wonderfully made. Gracious God bring clarity and light to me on this day. Remind me that in you I may seek refuge. Remind me that your steadfast presence means that I have all that I need. Remind me again that I am yours! Amen. by Jerrod Lowry, general presbyter and stated clerk of Presbytery of Coastal Carolina … [Read more...]