Praying for change

/ 10 September 2004

I am passing on the following call for action, which was posted on a Yahoo group, and also on the Deanprayercircle group. It may not be worded the way I would have chosen, but I think the underlying understanding is both powerful and just.

"Join progressive Christians across the nation -- PRAYING FOR CHANGE -- September 23-25

A call for all progressively minded Christians to come together in spirit as individuals, in our homes, and in our churches to pray, fast, repent and reflect. September 23 is 40 days before the election and September 24/25 is the feast of Yom Kippur, a traditional time of fasting, prayer and repentance.

Our nation desperately needs a change of heart. We must respond to the prophet's call to "promote justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) in both our private lives and our public policy.

We need a change of mind.We must begin to think differently about crucial issues of violence and war, poverty and neglect, education and jobs, and health care and opportunity for all. Will we promote what is just, pursue policies that are merciful, and live out our faith with humility and not arrogance?

We need a change of direction. We can reject the politics of fear and embrace a future of hope, we can chose leaders who will lead with wisdom rather than foolishness, we can chose an open hand rather than a closed fist. Only then will we know true security, safety and peace in our nation. Only then will we prosper again with a prosperity shared by all.

We need a change of leadership. November 2nd will be a day of reckoning. A time when our nation will be held accountable to God for what we do with the precious gift of democracy we have been given. Will we chose more death, violence, poverty, and destruction? Will we chose more lies, deception, and arrogance? Or will we, with hopeful hearts, use our votes to chose a different path?

Never before has it been more crucial for progressively minded Christians to join together to pray, fast, repent, reflect and prepare for the forty days of spiritual and political struggle for the soul of our nation which is ahead.

"If two of you on earth agree about whatever they ask, my Father in heaven will do it for them." Matt. 18:19"

"Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism, falsehoods. The liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement, seeking to overthrow the forces that continue to destroy the promise, the hope, the vision." - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Peace, The Progressive Christian Prayer Coalition, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProgressiveChristianPrayerCoalition. Please forward....let's get a movement going...together, we can make a difference!"

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