Justice: once that word is uttered, where will it all end? … Where can that lead but to laying down our arms?

- J.M. Coetzee
from his novel, Waiting for the Barbarians

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The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart;

the devout are taken away, while no one understands.

For the righteous are taken away from calamity,

and they enter into peace;

those who walk uprightly will rest on their couches.

- Isaiah 57:1-2

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Impress upon us again, Lord, the call to do justice, the call to practice reconciliation, the call to seek shalom. Today we remember this in the context of immigrants, asking that we would acknowledge before all else our common humanity and our common Creator. You are the God of all, you are the Maker of all. Keep us from insulting you by oppressing those whom you have made and whom you love. Amen.

Silence frees us from the need to control others … A frantic stream of words flows from us in an attempt to straighten others out. We want so desperately for them to agree with us, to see things our way. We evaluate people, judge people, condemn people. We devour people with our words. Silence is one of the deepest Disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on that.

- Richard Foster
from his book Freedom of Simplicity

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At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength.

- 2 Timothy 4:16-17

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On World Cancer Day, we remember all those who have passed away as a result of this devastating illness, all those who have lost loved ones, and especially, all those who are even now struggling with cancer. You are a Healer, God, and so we pray for your restoration and wholeness to come. But where it does not, we trust that you are still, and will always be, faithful in your presence and in your grace. Grant your peace, Lord, particularly to those who, being poor, have not the resources to aid them. Have mercy upon them, God; have mercy on us all. Amen.

Repentance is the doorway to the spiritual life, the only way to begin. It is also the path itself, the only way to continue. Anything else is foolishness and self-delusion. Only repentance is both brute-honest enough, and joyous enough, to bring us all the way home.

- Frederica Mathewes-Green
from her essay, "Both Door and Path"

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Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do." And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.

- Exodus 24:3-4

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We pray: Remove from us falsehood and lying; give us neither poverty nor riches; feed us with the food we need, or we may be full, and deny you, and say "Who is the Lord?" or we shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of our God. Keep us humble and mindful of you, of your provision, of your mercy. You are the Giver of life and of all good things, and all we have is yours. May we be good and responsible stewards of all you give us, material and otherwise. In Jesus’ name, amen.

–Adapted from Proverbs 30:8-9

Very often, people who are in conversation with servants, people who gain knowledge of the realities of life from the bottom, have information that people who see life from a position of advantage do not.

- Valerie Elverton Dixon
from her essay, "Servant Knowledge"

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Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

- Hebrews 12:14

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We pray for the civil and political unrest in Nigeria, for the tensions between north and south, between Christians and Muslims. We pray for peace, reconciliation, and stability. We also pray for wisdom, humility, and integrity on the parts of President Yar’Adua, Vice-President Jonathan, and all the other leaders of the country. Amen.

The ultimate purpose of the work of this God may never be understood by the [human] mind. Perhaps as it was, as the Baltimore Catechism told me long ago, that God wanted to be known, loved, and served. If that is true, [God] did so by devising a universe that would make knowledge, love, and service meaningful.

- Kenneth Miller
Professor of Biology at Brown University, on why he thinks science and faith are compatible

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Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety, and their talk will spread like gangrene.

- 2 Timothy 2:16-17

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Journeying God, travel with those who move from one place to another. Provide strength and courage and reminders of your presence. Lead people around the world to extend hospitality to immigrants and in so doing encounter sisters and brothers. Guide those who make and enforce immigration policy to do so wisely and well. We pray in the name of Jesus, whose parents fled to Egypt to keep him safe. Amen.

– Rev. W. Mark Koenig, from PC(USA)’s liturgical resources

In these difficult economic times, we remember those who are especially hard-pressed, and in particular those who are unable to access or afford adequate health care. You are the God of life, and so we ask you to watch over the lives of these, our brothers and sisters. Stir us to action on their behalf, as individuals, as communities, as churches, and as a society. May the body of Christ be characterized by our love for you and our concern for others–and may both be borne out in action as we seek to see your kingdom come on earth. Amen.

The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

- Matthew 6:22-23

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There are years that ask questions and years that answer.

- Zora Neale Hurston
American writer, folklorist, and anthropologist (1891-1960)

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The message of salvation is more than our verbal proclamation of the gospel. We must redefine evangelism to include how we live and interact with people — what it means for us to call them into God’s family to become members of God’s household. This is as important as our ability to accurately quote scriptures.

- Brenda Salter McNeil
from her book A Credible Witness: Reflections on Power, Evangelism and Race

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The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning … After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children, four generations. And Job died, old and full of days.

- Job 42:12-17

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