Prayers for Charleston

Lord, words cannot adequately express the heaviness within our hearts today. Last night in Charleston, SC, 9 of your children died in bible study because of hatred. 3 of your children watched the horror unfold. One of your children rebelled from your love in the worst way, committing the racially motivated act of murder that can only be described as hatred.

It reminds us, God, that even the Church is not safe and secure from evil, that even our houses of worship can quickly be turned into scenes of violent crime and murder. We weep for the victims, their families, the congregation of Emanuel AME Church, and the community of Charleston, as we pray for healing and hope in the midst of unimaginable grief and horror. We pray for the shooter, that his hardened heart be filled with your love, that he may come to realize the gravity of the unspeakable acts he committed and the consequences, and most of all that he recognize the face of Jesus in all people, including those whose lives he took. And we pray that this moment may teach us all to love one another more deeply, especially those who look or act different than us, so we may realize that we are not so different after all and that black lives do matter.

O God, humanity is full of so much hate and evil, sometimes manifest in racism, and sometimes in violence and death. Lord, where hatred is blossoming drive it out with your love. Where blood is shed, beat guns and knives into instruments of productivity and peace. Where we fail to understand why someone would take the lives of others, help us to understand your goodness in the midst of the evils we face.

As religious people enter houses of worship this weekend, we will do so more fearfully than last week. We will be more on edge, we will wonder if any place is truly safe. And we will be startled by the answer: not in this world. No amount of prayer, security systems, emergency action plans, licensed handguns, or military might will ever create the security we seek. But we do know this: even in the valley of the shadow of death, you are with us. Even when death comes early as the result of violent, hateful acts, you are with us. You comfort those who mourn, you welcome these 9 departed souls into your kingdom, and you remind us in your own death and resurrection that physical death cannot and will not have the last word.

No, hatred, evil, and death do not win in the end. And the cosmic battle is not about good people ultimately vanquishing bad people. It is about your love and grace utterly destroying the powers of evil and death so that they are no more. In this we place our hope, even if today that hope is barely visible through the tears welling up in our eyes.

The Season of Quiet

Living as a Christian in Western Pennsylvania means you can't go a few months without hearing the ubiquitous Steelers Excitement Christian Guilt Trip. Each pastor has her or his own spin and verbiage, but the argument goes something like this: in church, we are quiet/proper/boring/lethargic, but at football games, we are loud/rowdy/easily excitable. The resulting lesson is simple: we clearly love our Steelers more than we love God, because if we really loved God we would be jumping up and down, waving "Trinity Towels" and screaming "Here we go, Jesus, Here we go!"

To some extent, the Steelers Excitement Christian Guilt Trip, or SECGT, has a point. We do get excited about things we love, and if we can't get excited about our faith in God, then perhaps we have some spiritual growing up to do. But there are certainly times when the life of Christian discipleship requires a response entirely different than what is found at a sporting event.

Today marks the beginning of Lent, a season filled with meditation, repentance, and most of all, silence. It's a solemn season, not depressive but reverent. Lent is when we "bury the Alleluias" and leave services in darkness and silence. Lent is not the time to be measuring our depth of faith with the yardstick of football enthusiasm.

Furthermore, when we compare worship to a football game, as the SECGT does, what are we saying about God? After all, football is little more than frivolous entertainment. I sure hope God is more than one of many weekend entertainment options from which we may choose.

But I'm not completely a spoil-sport. I do think there are days to jump and shout and sing in celebration and praise of the almighty God. Easter is one such season, standing in stark emotional contrast to its predecessor, Lent. Pentecost is another, as the disciples got so rowdy with worshiping God that others accused them of hitting the football tailgates a little too hard.

Lent serves as an annual reminder that God is worthy of praise with all our emotions and temperaments. Excitable worship will return in a few weeks, but there is tremendous value in quiet, reflective worship - especially in a culture in which these things are lacking. So, let's embrace the season of quiet, because we desperately need it right now.