Scripture: Proverbs 24:3
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;
Thought for the Day: Though tragic events often make it feel as if the ground under us is crumbling, faith reminds us that the foundation is and will remain strong. I remember back to a clergy gathering a couple of weeks after September 11, and Rev. Jim Powell was speaking to us. He referenced how everyone was talking about what they had been doing when they heard the news, and then Jim pointed out how most catastrophic moments in history are described in those terms. But Jim went on to explain how he was less interested in what people were doing on the morning of September 11, and more interested in what people were doing two days earlier on Sunday, September 9. “Though we didn’t know it,” he said, “we were preparing ourselves for a September 11.” Worship, tradition, ritual and the proclamation of the Word are ways by which we build our home on “established” (Hebrew word: fix, firm, steadfast) ground. There is no question we have been rocked to the core, but the power of love to redeem and bring back to wholeness is our conviction. The Source of that love remains “established,” and the work we do week in and week out will help us embrace that claim.
Prayer: I lift before you, O Lord, my sisters and brothers in Boston and in other places of violence who are hurting and afraid this day. You are the bedrock of grace, and you invite your church to guide the shaken into communities established on your steadfast love. Amen.
TONIGHT…IN THE FORUM…GEOFF MITCHELL
