Rector's Blog
September 16, 2011, Church (77), In the News (Richmond) (74)
Posted by Wallace+
Blessings to all of you who participated in "Moving Forward Together - In Remembrance of 9/11" at St. Paul's last Sunday and joined in our prayer service on the eve of September 11. It was a weekend of moving memorials and remembrances. I was especially uplifted by how many individuals, of various ages and faith backgrounds, came together at the forum we hosted at St. Paul's.
As the Rev. Jim Somerville said, "I think we can really begin to see that we have so much more in common than those things that divide us."
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Tags: interfaith, september 11
July 19, 2011, City & Commonwealth (63), In the News (Richmond) (74)
Posted by Wallace+
Following up on yesterday's post, two items in today's RTD keep the question before us: how do we, as people of different faiths, live together?
M.P. Williams has it right. Of course Henrico should OK the mosque. Likewise, the editorial page has it right, the President should do as President Bush did and meet openly with the Dalai Lama. Granted, that's easy to put in a web post, and hard to execute foreign-policy-wise; nonetheless, it's the right thing to do.
In only a matter of weeks, we will arrive at the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001. With this mind, may each of us, and may each community of faith, do all that we can do to promote respect and compassion for people of all faiths. It's the right thing to do; and it's the holy thing to do.
Amen, amen.
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Tags: 911, interfaith, michael paul williams, richmond times dispatch, september 11
July 18, 2011, City & Commonwealth (63), Equality (12), In the News (Richmond) (74)
Posted by Wallace+
Today's RTD editorial, "Say yes," is excellent.
And let us pray for a day when this sort of "yes" is as obvious to Americans as, say, voting rights for women, or desegregation of the schools.
God's will be done.
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Tags: interfaith, richmond times dispatch
February 09, 2011, In the News (Richmond) (74)
Posted by Wallace+
I hope you saw the Reverend Bill Sachs' Faith and Values column on Saturday, "Who Will Heed Call for Unity?" In the words of the United Nations General Assembly last fall,
"In a world of hatred and mistrust, only the world's religions can help."
In his column, Bill references an interfaith group of clergy that have been meeting and making plans for the establishment of a Faith Forum in Richmond, to help bring together people of all faiths and to help deepen understanding and a sense of shared community. That group of clergy met today, as a matter of fact; and we are looking at this fall, with the 10th anniversary of September 11th, as a natural and fitting time to hold the first annual Faith Forum. While we are still in the early stages of planning, I am a strong sense that we're working on something that will be important for the Richmond community. Please join me in praying for God's guidance and blessing as we continue in our planning.
May God lead us, his children; may God help us to love one another; and may God help our community become more fully the community that he would have us be.
Pictured: Flag at Ground Zero, photo by "snickup" at stock.xchng.
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Tags: interfaith, reverend bill sachs, richmond times-dispatch, september 11
January 14, 2011, City & Commonwealth (63), Faith & Politics (33), St. Paul's Audio & Video Clips (12)
Posted by Kimberly Allen
As blogged earlier, St. Paul's hosted the Third Annual Interfaith Service of Prayer & Music this afternoon, praying for our democracy and all elected leaders. Prayers were offered by a Hindu priest, a Muslim student leader, a Rabbi, and by Christian clergy from the Methodist and Episcopal traditions. You can listen to each of the prayers offered, as well as the Welcome and Benediction, by clicking on the links below.
3rd Annual Interfaith Service of Prayer & Music
Welcome by Wallace+
A Prayer for All Humanity
Pundit Raja Gopal
Richmond Temple
A Prayer for Peace and Justice
The Rev. Pat Shipley
Centenary United Methodist Church
A Prayer for the United States of America
Charles Turner
President, Muslim Student Association, VCU
A Prayer for Virginia
Rabbi Ben Romer
Congregation Or Ami
A Prayer for Richmond
The Rev. Ben Campbell
Richmond Hill/St. Paul's Episcopal Church
A Prayer for All Public Servants
The Rev. Pat Shipley
Centenary United Methodist Church
A Prayer for Sound Government
The Rev. Wallace Adams-Riley
Dear God, the source of all we desire and all we need, we thank you for the great gift of our democracy, the great of our government: we pray for our leaders, that you would grant them all the wisdom and courage and strength they need to govern for the good of all your people. May they honor the public trust they have been given, that divisions may be healed, and that forbearance, respect, and unity would grow. And, together, may we become yet more fully that city upon a hill that we have for so long desired to be, for our own sake, and for the sake of all the nations of the earth. In the name of God we pray. Amen
Benediction and Sending Forth
The Rev. Ben Campbell
Technical difficulties? If you do not hear the correct forum after selecting a prayer, please click on the grey tab at the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. Then, select the tab on the player that says "Playlist." You will then see a full menu of audio tracks from which to choose the prayer you'd like to hear.
Pictured above (L-R): Wallace+, Pundit Raja Gopal, Rabbi Ben Romer, The Rev. Ben Campbell, Charles Turner, and The Rev. Pat Shipley
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Tags: democracy, interfaith, prayers
January 14, 2011, City & Commonwealth (63), Faith & Politics (33)
Posted by Kimberly Allen
Thank you to all who attended the Third Annual Interfaith Service of Prayer & Music at St. Paul's earlier today. This community service was a time for people to join together in prayer for our democracy, elected leaders, and public servants as Virginia's General Assembly reconvened.
In his welcome, Wallace+ explained further:
We come together this week, as the members of our General Assembly gather, across the way, for a new session, to do the business of the people of our Commonwealth; and we come together this week as our nation continues to mourn and to pray over the events of last Saturday, in Tuscon, Arizona; as we continue to pray for all those effected, for those recovering, and for those grieving.
When Congresswoman Giffords was attacked she was, of course, doing the most essential thing that public servants do: she was meeting the people; she was listening to the people; she was asking the people what they need. And the others gathered there, with her, were doing their part, as well, in the essential practice of democracy.
The events of this week underscore for us the precious nature of human life, as well as the precious nature of democracy. Indeed, next to life itself, surely one of the very greatest gifts that we have been given, as Americans, is the gift of democratic government: government of the people, for the people, and by the people.
Today we join together to pray for that democracy, for our democracy, for our Republic; for peace and for justice; and, indeed, we come together to pray for all people, for all God's children, praying for justice and peace around the world.
For those who couldn't be with us, audio of each of the prayers offered will be posted shortly.
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Tags: democracy, interfaith, prayers
September 21, 2010, Christianity (85), Church (77), Faith & Politics (33), In the News (Nation, World) (80)
Posted by Wallace+
Two columns, in particular, from the NYT's Sunday "Week in Review" section are must reads:
Nick Kristof's column, "Message to Muslims: I'm Sorry" is right on. The best line of all: "This isn't about them, but about us." Amen, brother. The current ugliness about Islam swirling around in American consciousness is something that we Americans must attend to, something that we must take responsibility for. We can't pass that off on anyone else. It is, yes, about us, us Americans.
And then Bono's column on the Millennium Development Goals is excellent; a good reminder, a good update, and some strong suggestions on going forward. It's about "us," members of the developed world, and "them," members of the developing world: Of course there really is no "them." There is only "us." Members of the one human family, children of one God.
May God bless us, may God bless us all.
Amen, amen.
What are the Millennium Development Goals?
Read basic facts about the MDG's (each represented by a different icon below) at http://www.undp.org/mdg/basics.shtml.
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Tags: bono, carpenter's kids, interfaith, mdg, millennium development goals, muslim, new york times
September 16, 2010, City & Commonwealth (63), Faith & Politics (33), In the News (Richmond) (74), Peace (18), Reconciliation (23)
Posted by Wallace+
A recent Michael Paul Williams column tells about a peace festival here in Richmond this coming Sunday. Please consider going, for the sake of peace, and for the sake of humanity's shared future.
Meanwhile, let's also all pray for the peace talks underway in Israel. May God give all involved courage, imagination, and humility; and may there be peace in our time.
Video: "Mike's Take" on Intolerance
The recent anti-Muslim bigotry is a step in the wrong direction and is only producing more hate.
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Tags: interfaith, michael paul williams, muslim, richmond times dispatch
September 14, 2010, Food for the Soul (55), In the News (Nation, World) (80), In the News (Richmond) (74)
Posted by Wallace+
If you haven't already read it, or even if you have, I commend to you a 2001 sermon delivered by the Reverend Peter Gomes, Pastor of Harvard University's Memorial Chapel. The Richmond Times Dispatch reprinted the sermon this past Sunday, in honor of the ninth anniversary of September 11, 2001.
From the sermon "Outer Turmoil, Inner Strength
"If you are looking for something to read in these troublesome times, do not turn to books of cheap inspiration and handy-dandy aphorisms; do not look for feel-good and no-stress and gain-and-no-pain kinds of books. They're out there, and you will be sorely tempted, but if you want to read something useful during these times, read the letters of Paul. Read them and weep! Read them and rejoice! Read them and understand that neither you nor I are the first people in the world ever to face sorrow, death, frustration, or terror.
There is a record here, not only of coping but of overcoming. If you do not wish to succumb to the tidal wave of despair and temptation and angst that surrounds us, you will go back to the roots of our faith, which are stronger than any form of patriotism. Don't misunderstand me -- I don't despise patriotism -- but there is no salvation in love of country. There is salvation only in love of Jesus Christ, and if you confuse the two, the greatest defeat will have been achieved."
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Tags: interfaith, peter gomes, richmond times-dispatch, rtd, sermon
August 06, 2010, Faith & Politics (33), In the News (Nation, World) (80), Reconciliation (23)
Posted by Wallace+
Imad Damaj is someone who diligently works to help Richmond be everything it can be; and he is a friend, someone I admire and who inspires me as a person of deep faith. I commend to you his op-ed in today's RTD.
And, p.s., I was proud (though not surprised) to see the Reverend Jim Cooper,
Rector of Trinity, Wall Street, standing, along with other faith leaders,
behind Mayor Bloomberg as the Mayor spoke in support of the plan to build the
Islamic center.
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Tags: ground zero, imad damaj, interfaith, islamic center, mayor bloomberg, mosque, reverend jim cooper, trinity wall street
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