Tomorrow (Wednesday), we invite you to pray with us on the hour, from wherever you are (longer descriptions below).
Feel free to come in person on the Trinity lawn at 9am, 12pm, 3pm.
Join Carson on ZOOM @ 6pm + Matt at Rotary Park @ 7pm
Dear Trinity Church, God is calling us into a conversation that is laced with tension, grief, and honesty. We are all disoriented right now. Regardless of our race, we are called to mourn with those who mourn. We may not have experienced deep injustice, but we have brothers and sisters who have. The world is desperate for the mercy, intimacy, hospitality, justice, and dignity that God's kingdom promises. So what is the church's response right now?
Lament is an age-old way to keep grief from self-pity; it is a way of bringing our disorientation to God (and to keep us from feeling like victims).
Lament is a form of prayer that proclaims "this is not the way things are supposed to be."
Together we will lament: the pandemic and its losses (sickness, death, loss of livelihood, loneliness, schools, small businesses, the medical community) and the wounds of racial brokenness (conscious and unconscious racism, systemic injustice, those in authority needing prayer and those wounded by authority).
What is a biblical view of Justice? Watch this 6-minute video by The Bible Project and see how it leads us to Jesus:
If one-third of the Psalms are Lament, that should be a good indication that our negative emotions need a good place to go. At Trinity Church, we are getting better at prayer, lament, and pursuing justice...
We are learning to walk the stations of the cross with Jesus.
We are waking up to the needs of the most vulnerable.
Some are giving sacrificially to neighbors it took a virus to meet.
We continue to bring groceries for Serve Wenatchee with joy.
Some are mentoring struggling youth.
Others are reaching across ecumenical divides.
And our church has become a safe place for the Parque Padrinos to meet.
In the midst of it all, we are small business owners, farmers, school teachers, police officers, and the newly unemployed who are "familiar with sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53). We bless you in your suffering, and we want to walk alongside you, and lament and ask (and sing!) "how long?" We also want to walk alongside those in the worldwide church who are (and have been) braving injustice and suffering for a very long time.
Let's pray we walk in repentance and with listening hearts, Julie
PS - Need help praying? Download this short liturgy for lament.
10 Things to Pray For
We, the Trinity Staff, tried to articulate these requests with the help of members in our congregation who themselves are facing these hardships. They are meant to inspire you to prayer, not to limit your prayer or express a particular point of view. May God's Holy Spirit guide us into all truth.
9am - Racial Brokenness Lord, we acknowledge the hold that racism and prejudice has on our national psyche. We acknowledge that violence has been matched by violence, and many are in pain and distress. May we have the courage to face racism as a country, and to receive this as an invitation to see ourselves anew. Lord, how are we part of the problem? 10am - The Church For the church in the US to be broken open and be an example to the world of lamenting, listening, learning, empathy, and humility. That we would serve as visible advocates and give voice to and make space for our brothers and sisters of color. In this moment and always. 11am - Our Government For those in positions of authority - our leaders both in government and civil society. That they would lead with courage, moral conviction, and gentleness. That they would reflect your heart of being a "father to orphans and the oppressed. 12pm - Law Enforcement For law enforcement: against discouragement, for integrity, patience, courage, support, safety. For family healing and soft heartedness. For the next generations of officers, that they would always deserve the trust of those they protect. For those whose trust has been wounded: we pray for justice & for forgiveness. 1pm - Doctors & the Dying For doctors: May they know the Healer of all. May their hearts be held in the compassion and tenderness of God. May suffering and the vulnerable be their teachers. May they be sustained. For the sick: May they know the good physician. May their fear give way to trust and renewal. May their families be held in the compassion and tenderness of God. May they be healed. *Covid-19 is currently highest in minority groups in America. 2pm - Loneliness & Intimacy For those who are lonely, and whose isolation is another unseen cross to bear. May they know they are image-bearers and know that they long for what is good. For those who turn to unhealthy outlets for their loneliness, may they be given strength and courage, and healing from shame. For those being exploited, for God's protection and the global rising of justice. 3pm – Economic Instability For small businesses: For the ongoing struggle to cope with government policies changing every week, and making it extremely difficult to run a business and take care of employees. For God to sustain their creative dreams, in prosperity and in hardship. For our communities to rally and support them, and for the families that are supported by their income. And for those who have lost their livelihood, that God will fill their hearts with hope. 4pm - Schools & Youth For the miracle of opening again, with full education, this autumn so that children will not fall behind. For schools to be able to innovate, and that love and resources would be distributed equally among schools and children. For teachers - creativity; for children - that they would not be depressed or discouraged; for parents - the wisdom (and grace) to carry on with work and the new (and ever changing) 'normal' with educating their children. For private schools faced with possible permanent closures & for public schools (particularly in the least resourced areas) which serve the most vulnerable. And finally, that schools themselves could become centers of restorative justice, and that society will begin to address the inequalities in wealth and privilege that no amount of education can overcome. 5pm – Farmers & those that tend our land Thanking God for small farmers and the migrant workers who put food on our tables. For the impact of Covid-19 on an already fragile industry (four-year recession), with small farms going under. For courage and creativity to face the limited opportunities to export produce, and for the community to understand and value what they do to provide us with food. For opening our hearts with His hospitality toward those who help us gather in our food, as a demonstration of Christ's love for us. 6pm - BYOLament on Zoom We bring to this place our own private brokenness, griefs, losses, and lament. "How long, will you turn your face away?" It is good to wait for the salvation of our God.