Dear friends at Epiphany,
In Harry Emerson Fosdick’s well-known hymn “God of grace and God of glory” (#594 in The Hymnal 1982) we ask God to “grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour.” And there is much to face in this hour. Thousands of Americans continue to gather across our country to protest the brutal murder of George Floyd on May 25, and to call for justice in the face of the systemic racism that besets our society. And on May 27, we learned that Covid-19 has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people in this country – a terrible milestone that was reached with alarming speed. This milestone and the protests against racial injustice are not unrelated events, as we know that Covid-19 has taken a disproportionate toll on people of color.
To help us find wisdom and courage to face this hour, we are beginning a series of holy conversations at Epiphany. Tonight (June 8) at 7:00 p.m., everyone is invited to gather online for “A Holy Conversation: Engaging Prayerfully with Race and Privilege.” It will be a time to reflect on the destructive consequences of racism in our society and to consider how white privilege benefits some of us and creates barriers for others. The Rev. Thea Keith-Lucas, a parishioner and Episcopal chaplain to MIT, will facilitate our conversation (you’ll find the Zoom link here).
Through it all, prayer is an unfailing source of wisdom and courage. The collect “For Social Justice” on page 260 of our Book of Common Prayer was included in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. Though this prayer was written almost one hundred years ago, it speaks to us today as we face this hour:
Almighty God, who created us in your own image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Sarah
