No, not the Episcopal Cathedral. St. Philip AME Church had a prayer meeting on Juneteenth, but instead of a celebration of the end of slavery, it was a service of intercession for the families of the Charleston 9, for the mother church of the black churches in the US, Emmanuel AME, for the AME family of churches, for deliverance from anger and bitterness, and for a renewal of the tattered American dream of equality. Oh, and a lot of praise to God, just because God is worthy of praise, regardless of what evil humans perpetrate against each other.
I learned a lot, but two things stand out:
1. What Scripture means has a lot to do with who is reading it and who is hearing it read. A presiding elder read Psalm 27. In the plural.
The LORD is our light and our salvation; whom shall we fear?
The LORD is the strength of our life; of whom shall we be afraid?
When evildoers assail us to devour our flesh----
our adversaries and foes---
they shall stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against us, our hearts shall not fear;
though war rise up against us, yet we will be confident.
. . . . .
Hear, O LORD, when we cry aloud,
be gracious to us and answer us!
. . . . . .
Do not give us up to the will of our adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against us,
and they are breathing out violence.
We believe that we shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and let your hearts take courage;
wait for the LORD!
2. Doubting the reality of God's resurrection power is a luxury that can be afforded only by the privileged, who do not have reason to believe that at any moment they might need God's mighty hand and outstretched arm to rescue them from those who wish to destroy them.
I learned a lot, but two things stand out:
1. What Scripture means has a lot to do with who is reading it and who is hearing it read. A presiding elder read Psalm 27. In the plural.
The LORD is our light and our salvation; whom shall we fear?
The LORD is the strength of our life; of whom shall we be afraid?
When evildoers assail us to devour our flesh----
our adversaries and foes---
they shall stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against us, our hearts shall not fear;
though war rise up against us, yet we will be confident.
. . . . .
Hear, O LORD, when we cry aloud,
be gracious to us and answer us!
. . . . . .
Do not give us up to the will of our adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against us,
and they are breathing out violence.
We believe that we shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and let your hearts take courage;
wait for the LORD!
2. Doubting the reality of God's resurrection power is a luxury that can be afforded only by the privileged, who do not have reason to believe that at any moment they might need God's mighty hand and outstretched arm to rescue them from those who wish to destroy them.