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Daily Prayer: a resource of Forward Movement

The Forward Day by Day Meditation for March 30, 2021

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TUESDAY, March 30 Tuesday in Holy Week

Psalm 71:1 In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge; let me never be ashamed.

In older translations, the latter part of this verse reads, “Let me never be put to confusion.” In Joseph Haydn’s Te Deum, which features this verse at the end, the choir sings in mostly the same rhythm, except when they approach the word “confusion.” At that point, each voice enters, offset by a few beats, and the music sounds progressively more convoluted. Yet, the beat stays the same, and the choir comes back to order to sing, “Let me never be put to confusion.”

We are in the midst of a vibrant time of growth in the Episcopal Church: People of color are speaking up, LGBTQ+ people are being accepted, and worship resources are becoming more diverse, culturally, linguistically, and theologically. As more underrepresented people become a part of the community and question the status quo, it can seem more like cacophony than harmony. But, as we listen to all of our songs sung at different times, in different tongues, in different styles, we find unity in Jesus, our consistent, foundational beat. In Jesus, we shall never, in eternity, be brought into the shame of confusion.

MOVING FORWARD: Celebrate the song of different voices in your community.

PRAY for the Diocese of Baringo (Kenya)

Ps 71:1-14 | Isaiah 49:1-7 | 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 | John 12:20-36