City Called Heaven

O all ye, who passe by, whose eyes and minde To worldly things are sharp, but to me blinde; To me, who took eyes that I might you finde:       Was ever grief like mine? The Princes of my people make a head Against their Maker: they do wish me dead, Who cannot wish, except I give them bread;       Was ever grief like mine? Without me each one, who doth now me brave, Had to this day been an Egyptian slave. They use that power against me, which I gave:       Was ever grief like mine?                          “The Sacrifice,” George Herbert

This Lent St. Matthew's in Jersey City is using the theme of "Turning" as a key to the season. Using words from Ecclesiates, set by Pete Seeger, the congregation sings "Turn, turn, turn" before the service in a time for healing prayer. The concept is used in cards which serve both as devotional and publicity about Lent events. Lent is a season of turning – Turning from what is hurtful & &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp towards what is healing Turning from what is shattered & &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp towards what is whole Re-turning to the Lord Wishing you a holy and blessed Lent. The same theme is used throughout a eucharistic prayer written for the season. Holy one, great God of judgment and mercy, we give thanks to you through your beloved son Jesus Christ. From earliest days, you turned towards your creation, bringing light from the darkness, firm ground from the deep, life from the dust. Adam and Eve turned from the g...

The destruction in Boston yesterday still causes one to reel in disbelief. But there are several creative things you can do in response. 1. Don't be afraid to feel your feelings of grief, anger, apprehension or whatever you are feeling. But limit your exposure to the news - don't let the horror come back to you all day on cable news or talk radio. 2. Do something good for yourself: call an old friend or a family member, go for a walk, choose something healthy today, even as simple as less caffeine and more water (helps with any stress). 3. Do something good for someone else: write a sympathy card, help a neighbor, donate money to a cause you care about. Someone who commits an act of terror hopes to make you afraid, hopes to make you hide or lash out. Let it instead provoke acts of compassion and generosity. That's the way to win a different kind of battle than the ones terrorists are fighting. And that is actually what happens if you just remember to notice it. Noti...

A few days ago, the snow was falling and I paused for a brief walk through an old cemetery. An interstate highway runs by it, but it was quiet and unnoticed. Some of the headstones were decorated with small American flags, and many had small bronze stars denoting the deceased as veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic, fighting on the Union side during the American Civil War. This year has seen a renewed focus on honoring our nation's military veterans, especially in providing some measure of services to help those who have been physically and emotionally wounded. As this year ends, this nation has been at war for more than eleven years in Afghanistan. (By contrast, the U.S. waged the Civil War for four years, World War II for 3 2/3 years, and World War I less than two years.) Few anticipate the true the costs when the blood runs hot and war seems to be a national imperative. And as the soldiers die and are wounded, it becomes difficult to end a war whose justification now ...

O Rising Sun, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Great God, in northern climes, this night is the longest of the year. Yet in every place we await the coming light, the sun of righteousness, the dawn of redemption. Come, Lord Jesus, come. We wait this night with those who lack shelter, who sleep outside not by choice, who ride the late night buses and trains and diners and waiting rooms, who are imprisoned, who are unnoticed and disregarded, who are near death, and together we await the coming of the light. In this light, we pray, all people will see that God has given enough to share, all people will see their neighbors through the eyes of love, and all people will know God's presence, with us, Emmanuel. Amen.

I have been fortunate not to have much violence directly inflicted on me. But I live in a violent world. I have studied violence academically, and worked with victims/survivors of violence. I have hit others and been hit. My immediate family has been affected by a domestic violence murder. I have been closely involved with a large mass murder. I live in a city where there are weekly shootings. I watch the news, which emphasizes violent crime and war. I grew up with violent stories, from westerns to WW2 dramas to cop shows to comic books. I played games with pretend and real violence. I live in a culture which in ideology if not always in practice valorizes those in violent professions (military and police). I live on land taken from others, I enjoy the privilege of labor taken from others in prior and current generations, and my tax dollars support killing and torture. My DNA - like everyone's - comes from history's victors as well as its victims. All this is a roundabout w...

Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God; &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting; &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven. For God will give you evermore the name, &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp "Righteous Peace, Godly Glory." Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp look toward the east, And see your children gathered from west and east &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp at the word of the Holy One, &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp rejoicing that God has remembered them. &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Baruch 5:1–9 O God, restore the fortunes of your holy city. Realize the dream of exiles, returned to live together in peace. Replace the affliction of violence and fear with the Glo...