Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing

Written 120 years ago as a poem, Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, known as the Black National Anthem, is  a song of affirmation for African-American people and a powerful cry for liberation.  It has been prominent in the USA as part of the civil rights movement and was adopted by the NAACP 100 years ago.  It is becoming again a song needed to be sung, to evoke the struggle and resilience of a people who are still on the path to freedom.  A song of faith and thankfulness, and yet hopeful and a vision for a better present. 

May we all join in the song and make the vision of harmony in liberty a reality and, true to our God, live in the light together.

Read the lyrics from "Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing" below. A poem written in 1899 by James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson.

In this Sacred Circle

A Letter From Anglican, Lutheran Leaders For National Indigenous Peoples Day - June 21, 2020

(From the ELCIC website.)

In a letter from Indigenous Archbishop Mark MacDonald, Anglican Church of Canada, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Anglican Church of Canada, and National Bishop Susan Johnson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the three leaders lift up National Indigenous Peoples Day.

The Government of Canada describes this as a day for all to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples.  We give thanks for these heritages, cultures and contributions. We honour Stewards of the Land and Defenders of the Water, the leaders say in the letter. As well the leaders note, this is a day to re-affirm our churches’ commitments to ending racism: discrimination and racism against Indigenous Peoples, anti-Black racism and all other forms of racism in Canada.

The full text of the letter follows. 

National Indigenous Peoples Day - June 21, 2020

Dear Friends in Christ,

The ongoing public health restrictions mean that this year’s celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day will be less about gathering and more about building up relationships in new and creative ways.

The Government of Canada describes this as a day for all to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.  We give thanks for these heritages, cultures and contributions. We honour Stewards of the Land and Defenders of the Water.

This is a day to re-affirm our churches’ commitments to ending racism: discrimination and racism against Indigenous Peoples, anti-Black racism and all other forms of racism in Canada.  This month, both Anglican bishops and the Lutheran Conference of Bishops made statements that commit the church to calling out racism as sinful and deadly, acknowledging the place of racism and colonialism in the Canadian context, and doing the work of dismantling the systems that oppress.  We pray for the Spirit to prod us forward.

This is a day to re-affirm the commitment of our churches to the work of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples.  The way to reconciliation is a long path; there remains much to do, much to hear, much to feel and much to change.  We pray for the Spirit’s guidance and support for healing journeys.

This is a day to celebrate the gifts and witness of Indigenous Ministries.  We commend to you the Rule of Life from Gospel Based Discipleship:

Creator God, we acknowledge and give thanks that:
In Jesus we know we belong to a Sacred Circle with the Gospel and Baptismal Covenant in the centre.
In this Sacred Circle:
We are all related;
We live a compassionate and generous life;
We respect all life, traditions, and resources.
We commit ourselves to spiritual growth, discipleship, and consensus.

These words of prayer and wisdom are a gift to the whole church as we seek to deepen our discipleship; to endure and adapt to the impacts of COVID-19; and to become the community of respect, equity, justice and peace that God calls us to be.  Meegwetch!

This is a day to read the Gospel.  Jesus says, “So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:31, NRSV)
We hear in these words:
A call to face our fears, whatever they may be;
A call to honour the dignity of each one and the value of every one;
A call to notice birds and nature with open hearts for the Creator’s wisdom;
The assurance that God is with us in all that we face.

For resources, please visit https://www.anglican.ca/im/nidp/

What opportunities do you see in your context?  What actions reflect the next step on your spiritual journey?  

Yours in Christ,


The Rev. Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

The Most Rev. Mark MacDonald
National Anglican Indigenous Archbishop, Anglican Church of Canada

The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls
Primate, Anglican Church of Canada

For the sake of the world

Reflection for the 2nd week after Pentecost

From this week's Gospel reading:

³⁵Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  (Matthew 9:35-36)

...think of this:

Surely we as well as our neighbors are among the harassed and helpless that Jesus sees, those with “every disease and every sickness.” But, as the baptized, we are also those to whom Jesus has committed his mission, and we have often failed. Nonetheless, God says, “I have brought you to myself.” Because of Jesus Christ, forgiveness and love have been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Just as the Twelve stand for the Israelites, called to be a people of priests for all the world, we too are given the charge to pray for all and to bear witness to the healing love of God, all of us together Christ’s priestly people for the sake of the world.

From the ELCA Worship Blog

A Celtic Poem for Trinity

Dayenu! It would have been enough.

God Gives More than Enough

It is the “first day of the week” (John 20:19), the day of the new creation, but to those locked away in the upper room in fear, the world is as it always has been. So entrenched are they in the ways of grief and guilt that the Risen One in their midst needs to offer his life-giving invitation twice: “Peace be with you.” The logic of the new age is peace, not retribution; forgiveness, not vengeance. With the invitation to new life comes also the means: the gift of the Holy Spirit, breathed upon them and within them. Just as the Father sent Jesus into the world, so now are these disciples sent as witnesses to God’s saving work.

Pentecost is therefore the crowning achievement of the Jesus story. Now, more than ever, these huddled disciples would have just cause to sing the “Dayenu” (“It would have been enough”) verses from the Passover seder meal, but revised: It would have been enough for the Word and wisdom of God to have been born in the flesh . . . Dayenu! It would have been enough for the Word to grow to adulthood and share his stunning parables about God’s gracious activity in the world . . . Dayenu! It would have been enough for this Word to say to his enemies, “Father, forgive them” . . . Dayenu! It would have been enough for this Word to have died on a cross for us . . . Dayenu! It would have been enough that he rose again in blessing, not vengeance . . . Dayenu! But now, beyond what we would even expect—the Word becomes our word and it is written on our hearts at Pentecost . . . Dayenu! It is enough, and more than enough to enflame our ministry of reconciliation in a world in need of a healing word.