Pastor Alice Connor / Friday, July 31, 2020 / Categories: Publications, Daily Devotions Daily Devotion Introduction for this week's Devotions I’m sure you’ve seen footage of or stories about this summer’s protests in the wake of the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. These are only the most recent in a long history of Black and White people protesting violence by people in power in our country. Truly, they are a part of a long history of people around the world protesting violence by people in power. And they are part of a long history of people of faith protesting violence of all kinds—I just finished writing a chapter for my next book about the Syro-Phonecian woman (that is, non-Jewish) who asks Jesus to help her daughter and Jesus’ response is to say he’s not here to feed the dogs but the children. Can you imagine? And she pushes back saying, “Even the dogs under the table eat the crumbs the children drop.” She stands up for herself, her children, her people, and Jesus reckons it to her as righteousness! Protestantism takes its very name from this practice of protest. And that’s precisely what it is, a spiritual practice. You’ll notice, it’s not the only spiritual practice by a long shot! Prayer, fasting, giving alms, working the soil, music and so many more things are practices—that is, intentional actions done over and over—that can bring us into deeper communion with God and each other. Protest can be a spiritual practice. One of the most moving aspects of protest for me is the music. The songs folks sing as they sit or march or work are rooted deeply in the Christian and Jewish traditions and speak to the pain and struggles and hope that we experience in all aspects of our lives. This week, I am bringing y’all a handful of songs I’ve learned recently and some questions you might ask yourself as you listen to them, learn them, and find yourself singing them at odd hours of the day. Listen to this song, by Paul Vasile, let the melody wash over you, notice if there’s a word or phrase that resonates with you this moment: “The Journey of a Thousand Miles” https://soundcloud.com/paulmvasile/the-journey-of-a-thousand-miles What does the journey of a thousand miles that’s in front of you look like? What scares you about it and what makes your face light up? What does the path of your life look like immediately in front of you? Not what does it look like next week or in the Fall or next year, but right in front of you? What do you need to take that next good step? Previous Article Daily Devotion Next Article Daily Devotion Print 8261 Rate this article: 2.5 1 comments on article "Daily Devotion" Sandi Wearne Thank you for your devotions this week, Pastor Alice. I've enjoyed listening to the songs and reflecting on how they fit into my spiritual journey. 7/31/2020 2:24 PM Reply to Leave a comment Name: Please enter a name. Email: Please enter an email address. Please enter a valid email address. Comment: Please enter comment. I agree This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data. You must read and accept this rules. Add comment
Sandi Wearne Thank you for your devotions this week, Pastor Alice. I've enjoyed listening to the songs and reflecting on how they fit into my spiritual journey. 7/31/2020 2:24 PM