Message from the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

In the midst of a worldwide health crisis, J. Herbert Nelson and Diane Moffett write a pastoral letter to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

by the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II and the Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett | Special to Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the President and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency have written a pastoral letter to Presbyterians living with the rapidly-spreading coronavirus pandemic.

The letter, written by the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, and the Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, is as follows:

Dear Siblings in Christ,

These are truly trying times for all of us as we face a rapidly spreading virus, panic buying that has left grocery shelves nearly empty and supplies in great demand. We have seen the worst in people and the best. Yet, through it all, we take hope in Christ and the promise to never leave us.

We are holding each of you in prayer. Like the rest of the country, our Presbyterian communities are physically separated, but we are still deeply connected through our common humanity, spirituality and strong faith in God.

We are not only with you in prayer and solidarity, we are also here to serve you. In response to increased anxieties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is committed to supporting mid council leaders and pastors who are on the frontline of preaching words of hope in these times. To assist you in that effort, the church has compiled special resources for pastors, congregational leaders and members. These resources include information about virtual worship services.

The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II

We are all in this together as we learn to cope with our new normal. Because the Presbyterian connectional system encourages us to learn from one another, we are encouraging “crowdsourcing” as a way of sharing ideas. What are your needs? What’s working well in your church communities? We want to hear from you! Tell us what you need, offer suggestions or suggest resources. Please reach out to us at connected@pcusa.org.

We are hearing the concerns many of you have regarding stewardship. The Presbyterian Foundation offers access to an online giving system that allows congregations to accept secure online donations. We know that many people and congregations are experiencing economic hardship because of the coronavirus. However, for those who are able, we encourage continued support of your local church, and sharing God’s love with our neighbors in need worldwide. We are grateful for those presbyteries who are providing financial assistance to congregations. We recognize that not all presbyteries are able to do so. We plan to meet with some mid councils to assess needs and discern ways in which we might be of assistance.

We are compelled by our faithfulness to Christ’s charge to love our neighbors. During this crisis, we are mindful of our denomination’s commitment to Matthew 25, and urge compassion for others by not purchasing more supplies than we need, and by speaking out against the racism being directed at some of our Asian siblings. Jesus makes it clear that how we respond to our neighbor is of paramount importance to him. These tough times call for the best of Christian character and actions.

The Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett

Please note that we will hold an online Easter service from the chapel of 100 Witherspoon in Louisville for those of you who would like to be part of a national experience. Easter is a new way of life — in which we are “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11) and called to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). There is much new happening in the world around us. We pray for God’s comfort and grace as we walk forward together during these uncertain times.

Finally, the past week has been full of high anxiety and mounting fears. We have heard from government leaders and health experts. Now let us turn to the Scriptures to find out where biblical people found faith, hope and courage in the face of pestilence. Over 100 times the Bible tells us, “Don’t be afraid.” In Psalm 27:1, David tells us why:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?”

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II

Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett

President, Executive Director

Presbyterian Mission Agency

Original Article at Presbyterian Mission Agency- click on link

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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Guide for Congregations

Common-sense tips for congregations and individuals during the coronavirus outbreak

By Mari Graham Evans| Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE- In light of the global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, more commonly known as the coronavirus, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance(PDA) has released a “Preparedness for Pandemics” guide for congregations. The guide contains valuable, common-sense tips on what congregations and individuals can do to keep themselves safe in the midst of a “severe infectious disease outbreak.”

According to the guide, congregations can take simple precautions like creating a task force that is in charge of coordinating a response within the congregation and the surrounding community. Congregations are also urged to ask members who are sick to stay home, have alcohol-based hand sanitizers (containing at least 60% alcohol) in or around bathrooms and pay increased attention to cleaning overall.

“It is important for faith leaders to proactively model protective health practices in congregational life, resist and renounce the racism and xenophobia at this virus’ geographic point of emergence, and make sensible plans to support vulnerable and isolated members of their community,” said the Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus, PDA’s director.

Kraus added that congregations should also consider alternative ways for the congregation to come together in case regular services need to be suspended.

For congregations interested in holding virtual Sunday services, the guide provides suggestions. For example, congregations may consider using video conferencing services like Zoom, livestream through YouTube or Facebook, or post sermons online to their church’s website or social media channels. (Additional questions about the use of social media or other digital platforms can be directed to social@pcusa.org.)

During what can be a frightening time for many, PDA encourages congregations to remain as calm as possible and to follow common-sense measures to keep their communities safe.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance serves as the emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Their responses to emergencies are made possible thanks to your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing. Learn more at pcusa.org/pda.

The guide may be downloaded following the links below

Preparedness for Pandemics at PCUSA Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

A Confession and a Broken Heart

 

"There is a Hole in the world now.  In the place where he was, there's now just nothing.  A center, like no other, of memory and hope and knowledge and affection which once inhabited this earth is gone.  Only a gap remains.  A perspective on this world unique in this world which once moved about within this world has been rubbed out.  Only a void is left.  There's nobody now who saw just saw what he saw, knows what he knew, remembers what he remembered, loves what he loved.  A person, an irreplaceable person is gone.  Never again will anyone apprehend the world quite the way he did.  Never again will anyone inhabit the world the way he did.  Questions I have can never now get answers.  The world is emptier.  My son is gone. Only a hole remains, a voice, a gap never to be filled." 

Nicholas Wolterstorff - "Lament for a Son".

Unless my readers have lost someone very close, it is impossible to grasp the void left by death.  Our family has been bereaved by the death of our beloved son, Landon.  Landon was a unique person, so gifted and so full of love for others.  He lived his Christianity by example, always with a deep concern for those in need.  Nicholas Wolterstorff who also lost his son comes close to putting into words how many bereaved people feel, though nothing can really fully express the deep loss and utter devastation.  This is how I feel if this feeling can even be comprehended.  There is a deep truth to those words when our loved ones die.  All the good they would have done in the world is gone with them. I want to be clear.  Death is bad.  Really bad.  Its as bad as people say it is.  Its unimaginable bad.  The gap, the hole, the void that once was full of life, laughter, anger, fear, sadness, joy, in short life, is gone.  Snuffed out.  Nothing that I say in this post is meant to detract from the immensity that is the loss of the people we love in life.   

As I was cleaning out Landon's belongings after his death, I came across something he has saved in his journal.  It was a short faith statement that Landon wrote as part of his confirmation.  It reminded me that while our loved ones are gone, and the void and emptiness is real, and there is a great loss that we have to come to terms with, there are still blessings that Landon left behind.  He certainly lived his faith by always showing in his actions love, concern, care, mercy, and charity towards those who were strangers and familiar.  In this short statement, Landon shared what it meant for him to be confirmed in the faith.  Although his life was cut short, this was a reminder that there is something of us that remains. This certainly doesn't take the pain away.  If anything, it hurts me all the more thinking of what the rest of Landon's life would have born into the world.  Yet in his short life, his deeds of compassion and love went out into the world left a strong echo.  As we are reminded in the book of Revelation,"indeed, blessed are those who die in the Lord, for they rest from their labors, and their works follow them (Rev. 14:13).  I don't think Landon would mind me sharing just one of those things that he left behind.  May it bless you as it has blessed others. 

"I believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and on the third day he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.  I love God because God loved me first.  As a member of this family, I will trust in God, and turn to God in prayer when I need help or comfort.  As I grow in my faith, I will be led to do the good works that God intended for my life."   

- Landon Gonzalez

Find Resources for suicide prevention for you or for someone you know. 

Suicide Awareness

988 Suicide & Crisis lifeline

988 Suicide hotline information

Depression and bipolar support

Families for Depression Awareness

American Psychiatric Association

Veterans Affairs Mental Health

American Association of Suicidology

988 chat

Doug Center for Grieving Families

Now Matters Now

Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide

Mind Tips for Coping with Suicidal Feelings

The Trevor Project help for LGBTQ+

5 Dos and Don'ts for helping people in distress

24/7 Crisis Hotline: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
988lifeline.org
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Veterans, press 1 when calling.

Crisis Text Line
Text TALK to 741-741 to text with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line for free, 24/7

The Book of Revelation Series

Jean and Alexander Heard Library: Vanderbilt
Art in the Christian Tradition
"Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator"

Revelation Series: 
We begin a series at First Presbyterian Church of Umatilla, on the book of Revelation expanding on the lectionary readings.  This series is an abbreviated look at the message of the book as a whole focusing on key themes that help to dispel misconceptions and highlight important truths from this book that celebrates the Victory of Christ.  The themes will be broken down as follows: 

INTRODUCTION

Theme 1:  Worship

Theme 2: Witness

Theme 3: War

Theme 4: Warning

Theme 5: Winning

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK
The title in the Greek reads, "the apocalypses" of Jesus Christ.  The words means something or someone that is revealed.  The translation then, of the "Revelation of Jesus Christ" introduces the book.  Because the word is often translated "apocalypse" some tend to understand that book is about the "end of the world."  At times when there are wars, famines, and disease, it looks like the end of the world.  Yet we should remember, that the "Revelation of Jesus Christ" means that this is the beginning of the new good world begun and revealed in Jesus that has not been accomplished and is breaking out into our world.  This book is not so much about the end of the world, as it is about the beginning of God's new world.  

A reference list of resources on the book of Revelation will also be included below.  

Worship is the first theme we will describe.  The book of Revelation is filled with scenes of heavenly worship.  The worship is due to the victory of the lamb that was slain and is worthy to ascend to the thorn of the world.  The book of Revelation is a deeply symbolic book.  Perhaps this was because of the persecution of the church and the need to be subversive.  Either way, Christians should understand that symbolic interpretation should not be taken literally.  The scenes however depict worship in symbolic terms such as the vision of heavenly worship with the twenty-four thrones and twenty-four elders.  These represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles.  The emeralds, rainbow and golden colors are also representative of God's glory.  The picture of heavenly worship either reflects the worship of heaven as reflected in the earthly worship of the church, or the earthly worship of the church as reflected by the heavenly worship.  There are banners, processions, liturgy, incense, altars, and worshippers arrayed in white albs.  This pictures the worship of the church in heaven and in earth giving praise to God for the victory in Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of God.  

The second theme is that of Witness.  Christians were facing persecution.  Many were killed for their faith.  The word "martyr" means to bear witness.  These Christians died as a witness to their faith in Jesus Christ.  When Christian face difficult times and face persecution or are tempted to deny their faith in the face of death, this book encourages Christians to stand fast.  The church goes through times of "tribulation".  It is these times that test what the faith of the church.  

The third theme is that of War.  We face times in the life of the church when there is a kind of spiritual warfare.  The armies of heaven are arrayed against the armies of Satan and the evil one.  These are forces in our world that are the spirit of anti-christ.  That is, the exact opposite of everything Jesus is and stands for.  There is even a world leader that is symbolic of the way the world sees power.  Where Jesus was humble, kind, compassionate, and restores and heals, the anti-christ is the opposite.  The spirit of the anti-Christ it that of power, oppression, subjugation, wealth, pride, and arrogance.  This spirit was embodied in the Roman Empire and in the emperors of the day which tried to bring about a kind of peace.  The Roman peace was much different than the kind of peace brought by Jesus.  These forces are at war and when God's new world breaks, it will destroy the arrogant cruelty of humanity. 

Warning is the fourth theme.  Over and over the book warns the readers that God will ultimately judge the world and the intentions of the hearts of all people.  This warning culminate in the scene of the judgment of the nations.  Too often, people misunderstand the justice of God.  N.T. Wright has written brilliantly about this concept.  He challenges us to see judgement as the justice of God.  When we see examples of injustice we inherently understand the unfairness of the situation.  When large trawlers over fish the seas and a fishing village can no longer provide for their community, these villages and communities begin to suffer.  It is an injustice that their way of life and their fishing rights are ignored. A village that once was thriving can easily be destroyed.  Justice would see the rights of these people honored.  When God returns in judge the world it will be a time when the world will be put back to right (in the words of N.T. Wright).  Revelation calls us to remember that God will come to restore what is broken and to hold accountable those that take advantage of the weak for their own self interest. 

Winning is the final theme.  The winning is that of the victory of Jesus Christ over the forces of Satan, the evil one.  In the crucifixion and resurrection a great victory was won.  The images that picture the scenes in heaven are symbolic of the victory won in Jesus Christ.  Revelation celebrates the victory of Jesus over the enemies of God.  Sin, death, and evil will finally be destroyed.  In one sense, this victory is already attained in the victory of Jesus on the cross.  In another sense, we await the final consummation of this victory.  The work that Christians engage on this earth is in anticipation of the day when God's kingdom will dawn in its fulness in the world, and justice, peace and mercy will overcome evil.  The final picture in the book is again intended to be symbolic. Two pictures are given.  Each is intended to be a separate symbol.  The first is in Revelation chapter 21.  It is of a new heaven and a new earth and that of the new Jerusalem coming from heaven.  The evil doers are consigned to a burning lake of sulfur.  This is again symbolic of the final destruction of evil and sin.  In Revelation chapter 22 there is another picture given of the heavenly city.  While it is walled, but has open gates.  Outside the open gates are evil doers.  The image is that of a place where self interest, deceit, cruelty and inhumanity is banished and cannot enter into the city of God.  

Christians should never be tempted to interpret this symbolic book in order to figure out when the world will end or when the end of the age will happen.  Jesus already said that it is not for us to know the times and seasons.  Anyone who claims they know that world events will predict the coming of Jesus is simply wring and not faithfully reading this book.  It is in the mystery of God as to when the end of time will happen.  We are called instead to put our hope in the finished work of Jesus and in the mission of the church.  In the letter to the churches in the beginning of the book, John sees an open door.  That open door is the opportunity that the church has to proclaim the message of Jesus' revelation.  That Jesus has overcome sin and death and reigns in glory as the victor!  

References for further study:

The Word Biblical Commentaries Vol 52A,B and C.  David E Aune.  Zondervan
Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation within Orthodox Christian Tradition; Vladimir Seminary Press
Revelation for Everyone.  N.T. Wright.  John Knox Press
What Presbyterians Believe About the Future; Robert Bohler Jr. The Presbyterian Outlook.
Presbyterian Outlook
Eugene Boring.  Revelation: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.  John Knox Press.

An Easter Hope

It was a few years ago that I stumbled upon the work of Benjamin Myers and Kim Fabricius purely by chance.  I was immediately hooked.  Although I never met Kim, I felt so much of his humanity, passion and kindness in the words he so carefully selected for his posts.  His insights, irreverence, and perspective helped me through many of my own theological ruminations.  I believe that Kim was really one of the great theologians I have read in his own humble way.  His work is a gift to the church.  I was shocked when I read the news on Faith and Theology that Kim was dead.  A little more than a few months later, I would be burying my own son who died at only seventeen years of age. It was a hell of a year to say the least.  Yet, to this day, Kim's work has brought me great comfort.  It is only the hope of the resurrection that lifts my heart from despair.  One day, I hope to be able to put my arms around my son again, but I equally await to be able to meet Kim.  I will be a stranger to him, but I owe him so much.  I repost a sermon by Kim on Easter, in order to both honor and celebrate his work, as well as give us a little bit of hope.  If you are new to the Faith and Theology blog, I would encourage you to follow the link at the bottom of the page for some great reading and to purchase the books written by Kim.

A sermon by Kim Fabricius

ER – Easter Resurrection, of course! But ER also refers to something else – the “Emergency Room” – which is what Americans call your “Casualty Ward”. It also refers to the award-winning American hospital drama ER which concluded in April last year.

For me one of the most memorable episodes is the one in which Carter flies from Chicago to the civil war-torn Congo to fetch the body of his Croatian friend and colleague Kovaç. Kovaç has been out in the African bush doing voluntary medical work, but he has now been reported killed in the fighting. In fact, Kovaç is still alive. Flashback: it shows a group of men captured by irregulars, kneeling in a clearing, their arms thrown back over their heads, their wrists tied together. One by one they are being dragged by soldiers into a hut and summarily executed. A close-up shows Kovaç talking to the terrified man next to him about how he lost his belief in God. It had happened during the recent bloody ethnic conflict in the Balkans: Kovaç’s devout Catholic faith died as a result of the genocidal atrocities he had witnessed. And then motioning his head towards the hut and the atrocity they are now witnessing, Kovaç says, “It is hard to believe in the reality of God amidst such suffering and death.”

“It is hard to believe in the reality of God amidst such suffering and death.” It is indeed. Kovaç speaks for all of us. For ask yourself: What, in fact, act as triggers for, or a confirmation of, popular belief in the reality of God?

Nature for one: a stunning sunset, a star-lit sky, a snow-covered mountain, or just a glorious summer day. Or, more philosophically, the sheer existence of the world, the fact that there is “something” rather than “nothing”; more specifically, the exquisite “design” of the universe, its order, beauty, and variety.

Then there is worship and prayer – here too people say they know the reality of God. There is the Bible and (for some!) the sermon, and also the sacrament. There are stirring hymns. And there is prayer, spoken or silent, “the peace of God that passes all understanding”.

Then there is music, art, and literature. In a symphony by Beethoven or an opera by Mozart, in a sculpture by Michelangelo or a painting by Rembrandt, in a sonnet or play by Shakespeare or a novel by Tolstoy – there too people say they sense the reality of God.

And, of course, in human relationships – in romantic and conjugal love, in the birth of a baby, in the bond between parents and children, in close friendships – here also people see God at work.

But “amidst suffering and death”? How often have you heard someone say they found faith amidst suffering and death? No, amidst suffering and death people don’t find faith, rather, like Kovaç, they lose it. The question “How can one believe in God after Auschwitz?” haunts the post-Holocaust religious imagination and continues to beggar contemporary belief. And the answer is: “Only if one can believe in God in Auschwitz.”

Which takes us to a graveyard in Jerusalem on the first Easter Sunday morning. Jesus of Nazareth, who attested to the reality of God in his ministry, is dead, murdered by judicial execution, taken out and, not shot, but crucified, a much worse fate. His mangled body now lies in a tomb in the early stages of putrefaction. On the large stone that covers the tomb might well be written the graffiti “God is dead”. God certainly does not seem to be present. The disciples have scattered in fear, the women have gathered to mourn, but they do not feel that God is there with them. They feel only the gaping hole of God’s absence.

We moderns – we think that the question raised by the crucifixion of Jesus, and answered by the resurrection of Jesus, is: Is there life after death? But that was not the burning question on the minds of the first friends of Jesus. The Sadducees did not believe in life after death, but most of first century Judaism did. So too did almost all the pagan world. Socrates could drink the hemlock with a smile, knowing that his soul was escaping the tomb of the body and returning to the source of all goodness, truth, and beauty. But Jesus died on the cross in agony and doubt. The God he claimed to represent did not save him. Had Jesus been deluded, or borne false witness? Had God, by his silence, dissociated himself from Jesus and consented to his death? Indeed, did the execution of Jesus signify God’s judgement and curse on Jesus? These questions about the reality of the God of Jesus – questions not about life after death but questions, indeed, of life and death – these were the questions of the first friends of Jesus. For, with Dr. Kovaç, they would have agreed that it is hard to believe in the reality of God in the midst of such suffering and death.

Can you see, then, the really radical content of the Easter message that the crucified Jesus is risen and reigns? That his coronation has taken place not on a throne but on a cross, and that his regalia were a crown of thorns, not jewels? That his reign begins not in a royal palace but in a wretched graveyard? That even now he wears the scars of his torment, and that he will wear them for all eternity? It is hard to believe in the reality of God amidst such suffering and death? On the contrary, Good Friday and Easter proclaim that one can only – ultimately – believe in the reality of God amidst such suffering and death, that such suffering and death are the acid test of authentic faith.

You might say that Easter relocates the reality of God and redefines the holy, taking us off the sacred path of spiritual highs and into the wilderness of desolation. Easter tells us that God is precisely in those places where you would never expect to find him. Easter confirms that Jesus was not deceitful or deluded, confirms that God was with Jesus in his ministry, confirms that his practices of forgiveness in the face of vengeance, truthfulness in the face of lies, and non-violence in the face of intimidation are the practices of God himself; but, further still, Easter asserts that the places such practices lead – the witness box of Caiaphas, the judgement hall of Pilate, the torturer’s cell and the executioner’s block, and, finally, the graveyard – that these seemingly most unholy of places are, in fact, the holiest of grounds.

Not apart from suffering and death and only in those pleasant places of nature, worship, art, and family and friends, but in suffering and death God, God experiencing it, absorbing it, transforming it into a new kind of life – that is the message of today’s ER. And it turns out to be the message of the telly ER too. For even as Kovaç, the last man left, awaits his execution, he suddenly begins to pray. Not the atheist’s prayer of desperation, a prayer for deliverance with nothing left to lose. No, it is a prayer of communion with the God Kovaç suddenly senses is real in the midst of such suffering and death. His former faith was truly dead and buried, but a new faith has risen from its grave. As the poet W. H. Auden would put it, he doesn’t believe still, he believes again. My friends, it’s a new day: like Kovaç, may we all experience “a joy whose historical form is integrity in darkness” (Nicholas Lash) – and believe again.

Reposted from "Faith and Theology" blog by Benjamin Myers

Reprinted by permission of Myers and Fabricius 

in memory of Kim Fabricius

May the promise of the resurrection console our broken hearts, and may we anticipate the day that our tears will be wiped away and we will be reunited with our loved ones.  For me, I can't wait to meet Kim at the resurrection. 

Original article appears at the Faith and Theology Blog. 

Other articles by Benjamin Myers and Kim Fabricius can be found at the "Faith and Theology: blog at the link above. 

Faith and Theology blog

to purchase books by Benjamin Myers and Kim Fabricius see the links below

Pilgrim Walks the Plank

Why did Jesus Have to Die?

This Good Friday, we meditate on the mystery of the cross and Jesus death to conquer sin and evil.  From the gospel of Luke 23:33-34 we look at Jesus first words from the cross, "Father forgive them."  

Click on this Link for Sermon

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance director offers prayer for the "whole broken and heartbroken of the world"

A Prayer...

God of our weary years and our silent tears,

We are shattered by the deaths of 49 Muslim neighbors in New Zealand,

     cut down in the midst of Friday prayers.

We are horrified, angry, despairing

We struggle with a knowledge that our prayers alone are not enough

     our silence in the face of intolerance and fear is complicity

     a fear that we do not know a way forward that will help

     an emptiness: we have been here before, too many times,

and we know we will walk this bloodied path again.

What can we do, with such fear and anger and longing,

     that can bind us together,

rather than further tear apart the fabric of our common life?

We are failing one another, and we are failing You, O Maker of the Universe:

 our Mercy, our Justice, our Peace.

We pray for our neighbors in Christchurch

            and for our whole broken and heartbroken world

 in this hard season of violence, death and extremism

            each one lost is a child made in Your image.

            each survivor is beloved to You

            each afflicted community is part of your commonwealth.

We lift our prayers for each life lost, each family bereaved,

 The worshiping communities whose fabric has been violently torn asunder

by bullets and hatred and fear.

We pray for ourselves, that this wounding, this outrage,

will not fade from our minds before our hearts are broken open

by Your passion for mercy, justice, and love.

Make us ceaseless in our resistance to xenophobia, intolerance, and fear.

May the knowledge of your divine image, given to every living being,

warm hearts that have grown cold,

and invigorate our desire to embrace our differences

and celebrate our belonging in the whole human family.

Make the waters of our tears nourish the river that flows through the city of God,

and the tree of life that is for the healing of the nations.

In the name of the God who is One, we pray.  Amen.

PDA: Prayer in the aftermath of Mosque bombing

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