for Harley

“I find the difference between Black and White Evangelicals to be interesting. White Evangelicals tend to think in catastrophic terms when they think about Biden. Less so for Black Evangelicals. Indeed, the White-Black differences stand out in many ways. I am led to think that the crucial factor is not Evangelical but rather it is White. Note that the same difference is found with Black and White Catholics. Is the famous loyalty of White Evangelicals (and in general White Christians) all more about race than religion? I think so.

The bottom line: racism has permeated American Christianity to an appalling degree. This is no surprise, given our history, but it is very demoralizing. As Christians, we are supposed to be redeemed and transformed people. Is our faith really just “skin deep.” Are our faith statements empty platitudes? 

Where do we go from here?”

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Prelude:                                  Everything Must Change – words & music Bernard Ighner

Address to God        O Holy One, God of Everyone,

                                    God known, unknown, recognized, ignored, denied

                                    You are still our Emmanuel,

                                    God with All of us,

                                    alike, unlike, disliked,

                                    our God,

                                    the only One there is.

Complaint                  “Where do we go from here?”

                                    Like Jonah,

                                    we are called to go where we do not want to go

                                    called to do things we don’t want to do

                                    asked to love people we don’t know, don’t understand, or like,

                                    and disturbed by minds that do not change,

                                    and those that do,

                                    apparently, Including YOURS!

                                    We are upset, outraged, sad, angry, afraid, confused, and                                                     overwhelmed

                                    with longing for something we can’t find or name!

Petition                       God of Everyone, do something,

                                    please, do something!

                                    We cry out to you from deep trouble,

                                    this is our belly prayer:

                                    We need, want, long, desire…

                                    to be restored, repaired, and reunited

                                    with You,

                                    with the Creation,

                                    with each other,

                                    with ourselves.                                         

A Song:                      Sometimes I feel like a motherless child

Affirmation of Trust    Holy One for everybody,

                                    we’ve heard the stories

                                    the one about being vomited up by a great fish

                                    about walking on water

                                    about bringing new life to what was thought to be dead.

                                    Do that, again, please.

                                    Do that again,

                                    and this time,

                                    with us.

                                    Our faith is so off and on,

                                    so up and down.

                                    This time,

                                    may we wait for you

                                    with patience

                                    and hope.

Vow of Praise:           So much is still broken,

                                    in disarray, at odds,

                                    not at all right,

                                    divided.

                                    But we won’t wait

                                    until the day when it’s not.

                                    Even now,

                                    when our hope is wobbly,

                                    we will continue

                                    to notice even the smallest

                                    drops and rejoice

                                    in you,

                                    our God of Everyone.

A Song:          When Jesus Wept, William Billings (1746-1800),                     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahRyAZZ1qCQ

            When Jesus wept, the falling tear In mercy flowed beyond all bound;
            When Jesus groaned, a trembling fear, Seized all the guilty world around.

Vow or Blessing:        Blessed are those who are sad,

                                   afraid, distressed, longing, & mad–

                                    for they shall comfort each other,

                                    and be comforted by you,

                                    the God of Everyone. Amen.

Postlude:        Lift every Voice and Sing,   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGaEV_ir3KQ

                      James Weldon Johnson, & J. Rosamond Johnson (brothers)

Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won

Stony the road we trod
Bitter the chastening rod
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died
Yet with a steady beat
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered
Out from the gloomy past
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast

God of our weary years
God of our silent tears

Thou who has brought us thus far on the way
Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light
Keep us forever in the path, we pray
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee

Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee
Shadowed beneath Thy hand
May we forever stand
True to our God
True to our native land
Our native land