Dear People of St. James’,
There is much in the world that calls us to prayer in the coming days. We pray for those seeking humane treatment of immigrants and refugees and for those resisting oppressive tactics designed to incite fear, to marginalize, to isolate, and to disrupt life in targeted communities. We pray for those seeking to uphold the freedom to protest and speak against injustice. We pray that God would stir up in us the gifts we need to cooperate with the Spirit in this time to build the beloved community. Keep us mindful of our prophetic vocation to incarnate the grace of nonviolence while not shying away from speaking and living out the radical truth of God’s expansive welcome and love.
May the witness of Jesus and the power of the liberating Spirit, draw us into circles of engagement and solidarity on behalf of the vulnerable.
This weekend, fifteen leaders from our Spanish-speaking community will be attending the Latino Lay Leadership Conference at Camp Allen. This is the largest gathering of Latino/Hispanic lay leaders in the Episcopal Church. Please pray for safe and uninterrupted travel, for inspiration for future ministry, for a nurturing and joyous space in the midst of community stresses, and for time to build bonds that will strengthen our communities for the challenges of the future.
This weekend, we will also commission the leaders of our Freedom Schools summer program, which starts on Monday. Everyone is trained and ready to pull together for a summer with not 50, but 60 elementary-school scholars.
Community-building such as this is a sign of life and a source of joy that resists oppression. Let’s keep praying and keep gathering and going where Jesus would go and keep seeking out the good of our neighbor.
Rev. Eileen
