Tuesday, January 31
The Presbytery de Cristo
Arizona, New Mexico
In the weeks after the January 8, 2011, shootings in Tucson, Arizona, an impromptu memorial sprang up outside the University Medical Center. There were narrow paths between thousands of offerings: candles, flowers, messages of goodwill, and prayers for peace. One volunteer removed her shoes. She moved through the labyrinth with resolve. Her bare feet connected to that holy ground that unites us and connects us to who God created us to be. She paused, lingering in front of a prayer. She fell to her knees, tears filling her eyes. She accepted a hug and gave a hug. And there is the sense that out of a senseless act of violence, God might be working to bring a community together.
The children's time on The church fell silent. So many adults who preach peace hadn't been feeling very peaceful. Perhaps when Jesus said we must be like children to enter the kingdom of heaven, this is what he meant. Instead of drawing a line between us and the shooter, instead of calling attention to how different he is from us, she identified with the part of him that is real and human. Could this be what Jesus meant when he said, ``Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you''?
The Presbytery de Cristo consists of 29 churches, one new church development, a Middle Eastern Presbyterian Fellowship, and has a membership of 6,998. Within the presbytery's bounds are Montlure Presbyterian Camp, House of Neighborly Service, the Tucson Borderlands Young Adult Volunteer Site, and Companeros en Mision and Frontera de Cristo, two of the PC(USA)'s bi-national border ministry sites.
Let us join in prayer for:
Elder Glen Snider, member, GAMC
Presbytery Staff
Rev. Sue Westfall, presbytery pastor/stated clerk
Mary Anne Nollsch-Abshier, administrative and finance assistant
PC(USA) Agencies' Staff
Ashlee Branham, GAMC
Rev. Jim Brees, GAMC
Let us pray
Good and gracious God, we pray this day for all those who have experienced violence. We pray for the families of the victims. We pray for those who commit violent acts. May we all find your common and holy ground. May we grow in our knowledge of you, even as you walk with us through the pain and confusion of our brokenness. Amen.
Daily Lectionary
Morning Psalms 12; 146
First Reading Genesis 21:1-21
Second Reading Hebrews 11:13-22
Gospel John 6:41-51
Evening Psalms 36; 7