Moment of Oneness, August 14, 2024 - prepared by Denise Hackert-Stoner

Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81507551772
Meeting ID: 815 0755 1772
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Welcome

Welcome to our Moment of Oneness, the gift we give ourselves as we gather for midweek prayer.  This week, our prayer is the prayer of Hope.

Opening Prayer:  

“Here is what I am commanding you to do.  Be strong and brave.  Do not be afraid.  Do not lose hope.  I am the Lord your God.  I will be with you everywhere you go.”  (Joshua 1:9)  

Reading:  From his Sermon at Southwark Cathedral, February 6, 2004, by Desmond Tutu

The Jesus I worship is not likely to collaborate with those who vilify and persecute an already oppressed minority. I myself could not have opposed the injustice of penalizing people for something about which they could do nothing - their race - and then have kept quiet as women were being penalized for something they could do nothing about - their gender, and hence my support among other things, for the ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopate.

And equally, I could not myself keep quiet whilst people were being penalized for something about which they could do nothing, their sexuality. For it is so improbable that any sane, normal person would deliberately choose a lifestyle exposing him or her to so much vilification, opprobrium and physical abuse, even death. To discriminate against our sisters and brothers who are lesbian or gay on grounds of their sexual orientation for me is as totally unacceptable and unjust as Apartheid ever was.

The God we worship has taken our physical material selves seriously because God declared about everything that God had created - matter and spirit, everything, not just that it was good, God said it was "very good".

Intentions

For all those who are losing hope.  May the Spirit come to them in the encouraging words of a friend or in the inspirational actions of others, and fill them with new courage.  For this we pray….

We are nations based on the premise of hope.  The hope of a new world, where all can live in harmony with one another.  May both of our nations embrace that founding hope and commit to living it into the future.  For this we pray….

As the United States faces the test of the coming election, may we carry the banner of equality and freedom, keep our eyes clear, our minds sharp, and our hearts pure.  May we never forget the depth of our power.  For this we pray….

At this time, please bring any blessings or concerns you would like the community to share.

We place all of these prayers in the welcoming hands of our Beloved.

Amen.

Closing Prayer

“You may not always have a comfortable life. And you will not always be able to solve all the world’s problems all at once. But don’t ever underestimate the impact you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.” (Barack Obama, Young African Women Leaders Forum, 2011)

Closing Song: Fight Song, Rachel Platten

https://youtu.be/anxFwZBmIfk?si=0a03T1ptfpvbdF4c