Prayer for the City of Istanbul

PRAYER FOR THE CITY OF ISTANBUL

God of grace and peace,

we pray for the city of Istanbul

and the people of Turkey. 

Help and heal the wounded,

receive the dying into your embrace,

and comfort those who mourn.

Strengthen rescue and relief workers

who protect and provide for others 

in the midst of crisis and chaos. 

Give leaders the wisdom and determination

to understand the causes of hatred

and prevent it from gaining force.

Put an end to all violence and war,

and restrain the impulse

to use injustice to seek justice. 

Continue to pour out your mercy

upon the victims of violence in Bangladesh;

Peshawar, Pakistan; 

and all the places we forget or ignore. 

Surround us all with your grace

and bring peace to our weary world.

This we pray in Jesus’ name.

Source: Presbyterian Church in the USA.

Litany for the People of Istanbul

Lord, have mercy:

Words fail as the PCUSA attempts to express the depths of our sorrow and horror at the terror attack on the airport in Istanbul, Turkey.

We grieve for the forty-one killed and scores wounded,

the incalculable wound inflicted on the families, survivors, and country.

Along with the world, we rage at the inhumanity of those agents of hate

who direct the weapons of terror and death against their civilian neighbors.

We pray that our deep and difficult emotions will turn us toward you, the One who brings creation out of chaos.

Holy Spirit, who prays for all creation with groaning too deep for human utterance,

keep us from numbness that avoids the pain of our neighbors;

inspire among us words of unity and compassion across the fears that divide us;

and urge us to acts of mercy, and deeds of justice and peace.

Lord, have mercy:

Fewer than two weeks have passed since the terror attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando killed forty-nine;

violence that once seemed incomprehensible now appears commonplace.

Our minds struggle to comprehend the world that is emerging,

the powers and principalities against which we struggle,

the way forward in the midst of fear, uncertainty and violence.

Strengthen us to reach for the hope that is within us, that in these hard days seems elusive.

God who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever on the path, we pray.

          The Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus, coordinator, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Source:  PCUSA mission agency.

PCUSA mission agency

Liturgy For A Time of Crisis

Liturgy For A Time in Crisis

This is a blog that attempts to focus on the process of Christian spiritual formation in liturgy and catechesis.  In other words, there are times in which we may forget that the very liturgy and words used in worship are themselves instructive.  We can learn and be taught by the church what and how we should believe through the words and actions in worship. 

The events in our city of Orlando this past weeks leaves one absent of words.  There are times when words are just not sufficient.   Although words may not be sufficient to express the deep tragedy, brokenness, and sorrow of lives that are lost and cut short in death, there are words that the church brings to us to help us begin to reorient our lives back to God and back to a path of healing. I would like to offer two, a prayer that is very well known called the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, and a second Litany of Peace.  A Litany is a series of repetitive requests used in worship usually with a response from the people.  In this case the phrase that is repeated after each line of prayer is "let us be your peace, O Lord".  These are prayers that can be used in worship and calls us to Christian hope.

We live in a world that has still not reached the fulness of the kingdom.  We live in a world still marked by evil and sin.  While these tragedies are a reminder of these realities, the words of these two prayers remind us that God still reigns and is working in our lives so that nothing goes to waste. That God is at work renewing creation even in the midst of great tragedy.  That God calls us to a mission in this world, to seek God, to repentance, to love of God and neighbor.   Two short postscripts as well; first these liturgies are taken from a service of healing offered to the Orlando community by the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Orlando, and second, news of another tragedy in Great Britain on June 16th should be noted.  MP Jo Cox was shot by a neo-nazi supporter in the campaign for the upcoming referendum.  Our hearts and throughs are likewise with her husband, her small children, the city of Leeds in their tragedy that cut the life short of a remarkable woman.   The two prayers are listed below:   

The Prayer of St Francis of Assisi

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.  Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.  Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.  For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen

Litany of Peace

after each phrase, the response is used "let us be your peace, O Lord"

When injustice reduces us to retaliation:

When hatred overwhelms our consciences:

When violence rips our hearts to shreds of grief: 

When ignorance has its day:

When turmoil seizes our strength:

When discrimination and prejudice grows ever stronger:

When the innocent grieve their loss:

When hopelessness makes a home in us:

When wars rage and violence abounds:

When bitterness dines with us at table:

When blame pits us against one another:

When selfishness makes us run to shelter:

So we come to you to wipe tears away:

So we come to you to wipe slates clean:

So we rely on holy words and sacred thoughts:

So we commit ourselves to serve one another:

So our adversaries will be powerless in your love:

So we seek the wisdom you speak in our souls:

We will persevere in faith:

We will persevere in love:

We will persevere in wisdom: 

We will persevere in your call to justice.

Mourning with a City

The city of Orlando is a community in shock and sadness.  There have been many tragedies across this country that have involved terrorism or mass shootings, and statistically these have been on the rise.  This weekend has seen a number of tragedies for our community.  It began with Christina Grimmie, a rising pop singer was shot at the Plaza Live Theater after her concert.  She was performing along side a band "Before You Exit", made up of three brothers who are all members of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando.  Christina Grimmie is also an outspoken Christian who often sang on youtube, it is reported that she had been praying just prior to her murder.  Then came the tragic and horrifying news of the biggest mass shooting in the history of our country at Pulse, an Orlando gay nightclub.  Although the investigation has uncovered a complex motive, it appears that hate towards homosexuals and terrorist sympathies were motivations.  It was a grim and sad reminder of the hate that exists within the human heart.  Then came the shocking story of a young boy taken by an alligator at the Walt Disney World Resort, the first of this kind of attack at Disney World.  The shock, grief, and horror experienced by so many this weekend is unimaginable.  Our community will continue to process these experiences in the days and years to come, the mass shooting is an event that will forever have an impact on those of us that have come to call Orlando our home.

This shooting comes almost to the first anniversary of another shooting at the Emanuel AME church in South Carolina that saw the death of nine at a Bible study.  In that case, the shooter wanted to start a race war, and sat in the Bible study with the victims for an hour before shooting.  He was welcomed with open arms and responded in cold blooded hatred.   Yet, the AME church responded after the attack by opening its doors even wider to the community.  As the congregation approaches its anniversary of the tragedy, 150 were reported present at the Bible study, services have been thrown wide open to the public, a day of "Acts of Amazing Grace Day".  This congregation at Emanuel AME has responded to hate with acts of kindness and grace.

These events are all reminders that evil still exists, but that we are also called to come along side of others and offer our support and assistance.  This was equally demonstrated by the countless that stood in line to give blood, raise money, leave a tribute, the first responders that came ready to help in a crisis, and mental health counselors who came to assist.  Our faith as Christians, is that even though we may not understand why certain things happen, we can be assured that God will overcome evil in the end, and that we are called to be part of that mission.  It is also our responsibility to work towards a society that is more tolerant of others, and implements public policies that are common sense and may help reduce the number of violent incidents.  For now, we all will pause to remember the victims and the senseless tragedy that has hurt so many, and find small ways to express our unity as a community in Central Florida.

A Sermon on the Day of Pentecost

Mosaic from Baptistery 

Pentecost is the celebration of the coming in a new way of the Spirit of God on the Christian community as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.  It is a retelling of the divine manifestation of the life changing power of God when tongues of fire appeared on the apostles and the sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the place where they were, and they went and boldly proclaimed the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Pentecost announces and invites us into a new way of living brought about by the power of God through the Holy Spirit in our lives.  The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ, and in a day where there is much confusion about exactly what constitutes the Spirit of God it is important for us to reflect on how the Spirit calls us and introduces us to this new way of living and empowers us to live it. 

This sermon comes from the Gospel lectionary text for Pentecost Sunday.  John 14:8-17

click to here sermon "Pentecost: The Work of the Spirit"

General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church PC(U.S.A) Portland Oregon June 18-25, 2016

General Assembly of the PC(USA)

The General Assembly if the PC(USA) will convene in Portland on June 18-25, 2016.  

The General Assembly consists of commissioners elected by presbyteries.  Half of the commissioners will be ruling elders, half teaching elders.  The GA is slated with resolving controversies in the church, seeing to matters of common concern for the Presbyterian church and serves as a symbol of unity. 

One of the first order of business will be the election of a moderator, followed by a time of work in assembly committees tending to the particular business for the week.  

Although there are a number of items that will be considered, some highlights this year will include...  

• Report submitted to the assembly on a year long study and conversation on the future identity and purpose of the PC(USA)
• Adding "Care of God's Creation" to the ministry of members
• The strengthening of Cuban-American relations and apology for killing of Korean civilians in 1950
• New Directory of Worship- A revised and shortened directory of worship will be presented for approval
• Overture to endorse the clergy letter project
• Granting permission for theological institutions to celebrate the Lord's Supper
• Belhar Confession - this confession will be enacted in the same city as the last confession (Confession of 1967)
• An overture approving new language that if approved will restore the traditional definition of marriage
• Divestment issues regarding Caterpillar and HP in regard to business practices in Israel and divestment from fossil fuels
• A new stated clerk will be elected
• LGBT apology

These are just a few of many overtures, meetings, reports and business that will be conducted, this selection reflects more of my interests than anything else.  To keep track of GA work log on to pcusa website and follow the proceedings. 

GA 2016

Newton Presbytery pdf list of overtures

Documentary film published by Fuller Theological Seminary Studios features Bono and Eugene Peterson.

This short film documents the friendship between Bono (of the band U2) and Eugene Peterson (author of contemporary-language Bible translation The Message) revolving around their common interest in the Psalms. Based on interviews conducted by Fuller Seminary faculty member David Taylor and produced in association with Fourth Line Films, the film highlights in particular a conversation on the Psalms that took place between Bono, Peterson, and Taylor at Peterson’s Montana home.

© Fuller Theological Seminary / Fuller Studio

a Fourth Line Films production, in association with Fuller's Brehm Center Texas and W. David O. Taylor

The Psalms are a song book for worship. For centuries, the Western church used the chant tradition to sing the Psalms, during the Reformation, Calvin turned to melody and poetry to put the psalms to words and music that could be sung by congregations. The Genevan Psalter is a collection of metrical psalms created by John Calvin for worship. Recovering the singing of the Psalms in congregational worship was one of the legacies of the reformation. Today, singing the psalms is a way to keep worship fresh yet grounded. This link to a number of resources for worship teams to use in growing in our understanding of the Psalms in worship


This link to Fuller Seminary includes a number of resources including worship, arts, and music and a free download with sign up of a portion of the book of Psalms by Eugene Peterson.  

Exploring the Psalms Link

Free download of Psalms 1-40 by Eugene Peterson

Caesarea (Marítima)

Caesarea (Marítima)

We have been reading through the lectionary passages in the Acts of the Apostles.  One city that features prominently is the Mediterranean seaport of Caesarea Maritima, where the apostle Peter baptized the first recorded gentile convert to Christianity, Cornelius.

It was in Acts 10 that we have recorded the conversion of Cornelius and his household to Christianity after receiving the gift of faith through the Holy Spirit.  This was the headquarters of Pontius Pilate and the site where the famous "Pilate stone" was discovered. Paul was also imprisoned for two years here and preached to King Agrippa II.  After the destruction of Jerusalem Caesarea became a significant center for Christianity holding a church council 196 to settle the Easter date controversy.

Caesarea (there is another Caesarea Philippi in Galilee) was founded by Herod the Great, who constructed a massive breakwater for the harbor, a stadium which seated thousands of people featured chariot races and gladiator fights.

Some events from the Acts of the Apostles include:

Philip arrives in Caesarea:  Acts 8

Peter visits Cornelius:  Acts 10

Paul is imprisoned in Caesarea:  Acts 23-26

Pilate Stone with Inscription: 

"To the Divine Augusti [this] Tiberieum

...Pontius Pilate

...prefect of Judea

...has dedicated [this]

[DIS AUGUSTI]S TIBERIÉUM

[...PO]NTIUS PILATUS

[...PRAEF]ECTUS IUDA[EA]E

[...FECIT D]E[DICAVIT]

The Theater

Ariel view of the Harbor