Today’s Reflection
Note: This week’s New Every Morning reflections are structured differently to follow the format of our featured title, Rally: Communal Prayers for Lovers of Jesus and Justice, which addresses issues of social justice through reflection and over 50 call-and-response prayers known as litanies.
I’m sitting in a dark room listening to Yo Yo Ma and crying over the death of another Black teen I saw on the news—this one for playing his music too loudly. I’m remembering the teen boy in my community who was killed in a drive-by shooting and how the kids at the center where I worked grieved so deeply for him. I’m angered by migrant children dying of thirst and homeless people dying of exposure. I’m confused by the death of a mother whose daughters are still toddlers. I want to honor these lives by grieving their deaths well, but I’m overcome. I’m trying to remember Jesus—not only as the crucified one but also as the victor over sin and death.
—Osheta Moore, “Here Lies Love,” in Rally: Communal Prayers for Lovers of Jesus and Justice, edited and compiled by Britney Winn Lee (Fresh Air Books, 2020)
Today’s Question
How does remembering Jesus help you with grief? Join the conversation.
Today’s Scripture
The LORD is a safe place for the oppressed—
a safe place in difficult times.
—Psalm 9:9 (CEB)
Today’s Litany
ONE: Jesus, you can empathize with us as we grieve. You, Lord, have sat with the trauma of loss. You know the anger, sadness, and confusion that comes when death visits your loved ones. You know because you wept for the loss of your friend. Weep with us today, Lord. We trust in you to meet us in this space. Remind us that we are not alone.
ALL: Come, Lord Jesus, bring us comfort.
ONE: Lord, teach us the power of lament, and give us courage to weep with those who weep. Surround us and those who have been shaken by tragedy with love and community. Give us new resolve to love ourselves and others fully.
ALL: Come, Lord Jesus, bring us connection where this death has brought senselessness.
[Litany by Osheta Moore in Rally]
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.
Something More
Psalms for Black Lives, written by Pastors Gabby Cudjoe Wilkes and Andrew Wilkes, is the perfect resource to add to your bookshelf as we celebrate Black History Month. May we join with God and with each other in the holy work of pursuing justice, undoing structural racism, and building a society that truly values Black lives. Learn more here.
Lectionary Readings
- Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13)
- Psalm 138
- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
- Luke 5:1-11
Read the lectionary texts courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library here.
Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.
1 Comment
When Soo Ok passed, very unexpectedly, I felt I had a choice to blame God or to turn to God. I turned to God and have been blessed in doing so. No human medicine could have saved her. Her passing was as peaceful as we all hope for when our time comes. This November it will be 28 years since she went to be with the Lord. Thank You, Lord
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