O God, the source of creation, ever-present
in the changes of this world, be present
with your people who cry to you for help.
Empower us with vision and strength to
enable the peoples of this earth to acquire
the skills and resources necessary to a
growing world. Enable those from countries
with plenty to share their lives, funds,
and resources with those in need. Embolden
those with vision to proclaim new ways of
creating communities of responsibility.
Engage us in learning from one another
and in valuing the unique gifts that you
have given to the people of every land.
Bless your people, O God, who cry to you. Amen.

- Vienna Cobb Anderson

Scripture:

"This grace was given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
Christ." (Ephesians 3:8)

Reflection:

This is part of a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote
to the church in Ephesus. Do you realize that
Paul was a prisoner at the time he wrote this
letter. All through the Book of Ephesians, Paul
has this upbeat attitude being excited about the
unsearchable riches of Christ, and all that time
he is suffering the pain and humiliation of a prisoner.
But he didn't see himself as a prisoner of the state
but as a prisoner of Christ. He took the hardship that
he was suffering and made into an exciting opportunity
to bring the Gospel to the gentiles. I'm curious do you
use the pain, the disappointments, the discouragements,
that you encounter in life as an opportunity to tell others
about Jesus Christ? What a wonderful way to approach
your life. In Ephesians 3:8, Paul states "To me, who am
less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given,
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ". Paul, a prisoner of Christ, saw himself as
being given the privilege to serve God and present the
"riches of Christ" to all. Are You a prisoner of Christ?

Prayer:

Lord afflictions may test me, They cannot destroy me,
because You are my Savior, thank you that one small
glimpse of Your love turns them all to joy. THANK GOD
FOR BEING GOD!

Quote of the Day

Lucretia Mott
Quaker, Pacifist Abolitionist, Feminist
(1793-1880)

"Let it be called the Great Spirit of the Indian, the Quaker
‘Inward Light' of George Fox, the ‘Blessed Mary,' Mother
of Jesus of the Catholics, or Brahman, the Hindu's God -
they will be one, and there will come to be such a faith
and liberty as shall redeem the world.

Black History Month

I have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial
in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963

(Here is the last part of the I have a dream speech.
Let us remember and cherish these words.)

This will be the day when all of God's children will
be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country,
'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land
where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride,
from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this
must become true. So let freedom ring from the
prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom
ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let
freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snow capped Rockies
of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks
of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone
Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of
Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every
molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside,
let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring
from every village and every
hamlet, from every state and every city, we
will be able to speed up that day when all of
God's children, black men and white men,
Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics,
will be able to join hands and sing in the words of
the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last!
thank God Almighty, we are
free at last!"

Prayer:

LORD WE PRAY FOR THAT DAY!

Scripture:

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. I someone
strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the other also.
(Matthew 5:39)

Reflection:

Well I guess that rules out killing um. This verse from the
sermon on the mount, must have left quit an impression.
I think we are being told here to negotiate, to talk with our
enemies, and to leave ourselves a little vulnerable, so our
enemies will talk with us. War begins with the fact that
we don't talk with our enemies, lack of communication, lack
of turning the other cheek, leads to warfare. It seems much
easier to kill them than to talk with them. Let's talk it
out, not wipe them out.

Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . joy
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I 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,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

Quote for the Day

Sojourner Truth
Pacifist abolitionist, feminist
(1797-1883)

"No more scars and stripes, just stars and stripes
for all God's children."

Scripture:

(Jonah 1:1-10)

"Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence
of the Lord" (Jonah 1:1)

Reflection:

The book of Jonah is a story that we have all learned
as a child. I love this story, not because Jonah was
swallowed by a big fish, but because I could identify
with Jonah often during my life. You see Jonah was
a prophet who rejected God's call to deliver His word
to the people of Nineveh. He ran away from God rather
than do what God had chosen him to do. Jonah was
angry at God! Boy can I ever identify with this account.
I have often been Jonah! How about you? There have
been many times in my life that I knew exactly what
God wanted me to do and I turned my back on God,
because simply I didn't want to do it. I would run from
God, and try to avoid His presence. I would react to
God with anger and actually reject Him. For example,
when I first felt the calling to be a minister, I rejected
that call. I was highly successful in my chosen field
at the time, there was no way I was going to preach
to bunch of Sunday want to bee's. I turned my back on
God, I was angry, and very unhappy. I began to
realize my unhappiness and finally accepted God's
call to relieve that unhappiness in my life. Boy did
my life change. If you want a change in your life,
if you want to be happy in your life, may I suggest
that you quit running from God and turn your anger
into happiness. Accept God's calling for your life,
this could be the time right now to change your life.
Quit running and turn your life over to God right now,
trust Him especially when it is difficult to understand
His ways. Let Jesus Christ into your life, and make
the change!

Prayer:

Dear Jesus I realize that sometimes it's hard for me
to put my trust in You, especially when I don't understand.
But help me to fight the urge to run from You, and give me
the strength and wisdom to reach out and take Your hand.
THANK YOU GOD FOR BEING GOD!

Quote for the Day:

St. Claire of Assisi
Spiritual Teacher and Guide, Political and Religious Peacemaker
(1193-1223)

"Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth
without fear, for He that created you has sanctified you, has
always protected you, and loves you as a mother."