Praying for Courage & Solidarity

This past Sunday Rev. Brian Kirk, pastor of FCC in St. Joseph, shared this prayer at a rally to protest ICE violence.

We appreciate his presence, leadership, and challenge.

Source of all life, and love and being. I do not pray for peace today. I do not pray for peace if peace means looking the other way. I do not pray for peace if peace means ignoring the cries of my immigrant neighbor. I do not pray for peace if peace means turning a blind eye as the oppressors trample on human rights. I do not pray for peace if peace means we value politeness and decorum over public accountability.

I do not pray for peace if peace means maintaining my own security and comfort at the expense of the outsider.

I do not pray for peace if peace means silence when families are torn apart. I do not pray for peace if peace means accepting cruelty as policy and violence as law. I do not pray for peace if peace means we prioritize order over mercy, compliance over compassion.

I do not pray for peace if peace means children wake in fear, if peace means parents are disappeared, if peace means communities live in terror by those wielding weapons of oppression rather than protection. I do not pray for peace if it requires us to forget our neighbors' names, to unhear their stories, to unsee their humanity.

Instead, I pray for courage—courage to stand with those who are afraid, to open our doors when others would close them, to speak names when systems would erase them.

I pray for solidarity that breaks through fear and binds us to one another across every border and barrier.

I pray that we become instruments of true justice, not passive observers of injustice.

May we show up at hearings and knock on legislators' doors. May we accompany our neighbors to their appointments and bear witness in our streets. May we organize, contribute, and refuse to be silent. May we use our voices, our votes, our resources, and our presence to defend the vulnerable.

May we be disturbed from our comfort. May we be moved to action. May we risk something real—our ease, our reputation, our safety—for the dignity of every human being. May it be so.

Church Mice Concert

On December 17th, seven members of the Gower Christian Church Mice (grades K-2) joined the nine members of the Bell Choir at the Gower Convalescent Center and shared in a bell concert of selected Christmas music. These two groups have been playing bells together for several years. This year Rev. Bob Elliott directed the group. Leaders of the Mice include youth pastor Bill Terry, Kelly Kelley, Allie Lee, and pastor, Rev. Randy Frye. 

Ordinations

Our Mid-America Region was blessed with two more ordinations this past Saturday, January 10.

Rev. Teila Creekmore was ordained at Brentwood Christian Church in Springfield. She is pictured here preparing communion and surrounded by many clergy mentors, friends, colleagues, and proud dad (Rev. Lee Young, pastor of FCC Republic and CCMA board member) who joined her on this special day.

Rev. M. Faye Vaughn was ordained at First Christian Church in Frankford. She serves as pastor of this historic church that previously refused her entrance to the sanctuary due to the color of her skin. On Saturday, God's house was packed with her joyful supporters.