We pray this week for God to help us “not to be anxious about earthly things.” But, if we are honest we’re an anxious bunch. The last six months has either caused, revealed or amplified our anxiety about earthly things like: life, livelihood, the safety of our children, and the state of our nation. But, prayer in the face of anxiety shouldn’t only be a cry for help and a place to channel emotional energy. No. Prayer is a secret passageway behind a bookcase. An underground railroad. A reliable friend. A strong rope thrown down to us in a pit. In prayer, we exchange the tyranny of our anxiety with the steadfastness of God’s changelessness. In prayer, we welcome the eloquent silence that calms the scared child that dictates our lives. In prayer, we remember who and what will endure.
“Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.”
For People with Bishop Rob Wright
Barbara Brown Taylor, best-selling author and Episcopal priest, is this week’s special guest. In part 2 of their conversation, Barbara Brown Taylor and Bishop Rob Wright discuss the changing ways we encounter and see God in the world.