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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

 

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.

God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ask for, think about, or imagine. When we recognize injustice, what we can ask for, think about, or imagine may seem like an insufficient response to the injuries affecting us. Feeling unequal to the task, we may avoid doing anything.

Our individual responses—or even our institutional ones—in fact may be insufficient. Those possibilities notwithstanding, there is another, deeper truth: God uses seemingly insufficient things to effect justice, to bring about freedom.

—Andrew Wilkes, “One Small Step,” 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 is God using your small steps to bring about justice and freedom? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us.
—Ephesians 3:20 (CEB)

Today’s Litany

ONE: We seek justice with discernment, rejecting the false ideal of having to know everything before starting anything.
ALL: All-wise God, help us distinguish between essential facts and nonessential perspectives so that we can take informed action for justice.
ONE: One small step to undo oppression is greater than an ambitious, undone deed.
ALL: Give us the strength to begin the work and the stamina to complete it.
[Litany by Andrew Wilkes 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.

2 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted February 4, 2025 5:18 am

    God uses seemingly insufficient things to effect justice, to bring about freedom. Yes. I believe this is true. Since January 20th I’ve increased my petition signing advocacy, unable to donate, it is something I can do. Reasons for advocacy are rising exponentially. I pray God’s wisdom is accepted by all. Thank You, Lord.

  • April Posted February 4, 2025 9:42 am

    Our church has given us these 5 action steps for 2025:
    Pray 5 times daily
    Miss less than 5 Sundays of church services
    Serve 5 times
    Give $5 more each week
    Invite 5 people to worship
    Small steps can lead to great results.
    Prayers for our NEM family.
    Julie, I pray you are recovering
    Ally and David,I pray for answers when you go for David’s Dr appointment and success when you apply for SS
    Robert, patience as you parent Erich
    Jill, answers for medical needs and thanks for being a teacher
    Lou, safe travels as you support your kids and Mother and work to help others
    Andrea and Lowell as they live with their new disease.
    All who stop by for nourishment for their day, I lift you to God, our Helper and Healer.

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