When the King puts the poet on the payroll, he cuts off the tongue of the poet. — Arabic proverb
by Ken Sehested
Creator God, we give thanks this day for work: for work that sustains; for work that fulfills; for work which, however tiring, also satisfies and resonates with Your labor in creation.
As part of our thanks we also intercede for those who have no work, who have too much or too little work; who work at jobs that demean or destroy, work which profits the few at the expense of the many.
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It was a time of great turmoil in the land. The Spirit of God bypassed all the famous leaders and came to me with a dream.
And I saw the Ruler of All Creation sitting on a throne, high and lofty, with majesty filling the sky as far as the eye could see.
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Dear Jesus: Don’t do that. Don’t go saying “I come not to bring peace, but division.” You’re scaring us. Don’t you know there are children in the room!
Peace is not the product of the politics of fear, of Wall Street fraud or war profiteer.
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Sisters and brothers, these are among the convictions that we harbor and herald:
Faith is not belief in spite of the evidence. Faith is life lived in scorn of the consequences.*
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All glory to you, Gracious One, who smiles on the earth, restoring the fortunes of our ancestors.
In your presence, the weight of shame is lifted, and we are drenched in pardon.
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As people of faith gather for prayer and praise, the first act is that of interrogation.
How long, oh Beloved, will you permit envy and enmity to choke the soil of our land and souls?
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I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that Divine justice cannot sleep forever. A revolution of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of situation, is possible. The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest.*
Be forewarned, you nation of frivolous piety:
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After fleeing Pharaoh’s slavery through
the Red Sea’s baptism, the people of the
Most High assembled in covenant assembly
at the mountain of promise for instruction
in freedom’s demands.
Abandon every god of metal:
whether nation or spear or bandolier,
each Tomahawk and Trident,
every nuclear racketeer.
Do not sanction your vengeance by
the Name of the Beloved.
by Ken Sehested
There are, to be sure, moments of high drama in the
work of holy obedience:
marches to be made,
confrontations to be staged,
dangers to be endured,
corruption to be exposed,
trips made to distant and unfamiliar places,
maybe even jail cells to be filled.
On rare occasions, the whole world is watching.
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Today’s text is the brutal story of the mighty warrior, Jephthah, whose bloody victory entails the sacrifice of his only child, a daughter, whose name is lost to history. Hear now and testify your resolve to Heaven’s intent:
Oh you, dear unnamed daughter, pawn of warrior’s reckless vow,
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