A Coronavirus Prayer
Jesus Christ,
you travelled through towns and villages,
“curing every disease and illness.”
At your command, the sick were made well.
Jesus Christ, healer of all,
stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.
Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus,
that we may experience your healing love.
Heal those who are sick with the virus.
May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.
Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together
and neighbors from helping one another.
Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability
to a disease that knows no borders.
Be with the families of those who are sick or have died.
As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair.
May they know your peace.
Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals
who seek to heal and help those affected
and who put themselves at risk in the process.
May they know your protection and peace.
Be with the leaders of all nations.
Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern
for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve.
Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions
that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks.
May they know your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.
Whether we are home or abroad,
surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few,
Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn,
persist and prepare.
In place of our anxiety, give us your peace.
Jesus Christ, heal us.
Matching Gift Challenge 2020!
In daily reports of distress and disruption, the voice of fear speaks.
Fear gnaws away at all the ties that bind us to God and to others. Hell rejoices as we sink into ourselves, helpless and despairing, persuaded that we are alone.
At Theological Horizons, we declare a deeper, hope-filled truth:
we proclaim the One who overcame fear, who nailed it to the cross. "We name the One who is the shout of victory of humankind redeemed from the fear of death: Jesus Christ, the Crucified and Living One." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
our Theological Horizons board & staff (not pictured: Taylor Harris)
Now more than ever, Theological Horizons is an "essential service",
delivering God's Word of promise each day. God speaks Truth to us and through us as we minister in fresh, creative ways.
All together now! Let us speak up and speak out.
God is faithful. God provides. God blesses. God empowers.
Now we choose to serve. We choose to trust. We choose to love.
We choose to be generous.
Together in body then. Together in spirit now!
I invite you to answer the call of our generous Challenge Donors,
friends who promise to match each and every dollar you give through May 31.
Each prayer you offer, each financial gift you make, strengthens the Theological Horizons community and allows us to speak more boldly.
Through this Matching Gift Campaign, may YOU experience confidence in Christ's victory over fear. **Respond now by clicking one of the links below!**
All together now! Thank you!
-Steve Scoper
T.H. Board Chair
All together now! With Dr. John M. Perkins at the Perkins House in February
on Anxiety: Virtual Vintage with New City Counseling
Theological Horizons' Virtual Vintage welcomes New City Counseling's Ellen Foster and Tim Jones for an hour of insight and conversation about anxiety. We begin with the questions: What do we do with the feelings that arise from our anxieties? How do we explore the origins of our anxieties? Tim and Ellen discuss anxiety in light of a Biblical framework, our bodies and our stories.
Now you can watch the video or listen to the audio of their presentation — and listen in on the question and answer conversation that follows. For more Virtual Vintage archives, go here: https://www.theologicalhorizons.org/vintage
Tim Jones is the director of New City Counseling here in Charlottesville and is also a counselor there. He has 12 years of clinical experience as a nationally board certified counselor and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Tim lives in Charlottesville with his wife and six children and also serves on the staff of Trinity Presbyterian Church.
Ellen Foster is the assistant director and a counselor at New City Counseling. She holds a bachelor's degree in Social Work and a Master’s degree in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary. She enjoys hiking, running and cooking—all activities she’s been able to continue during this time of distancing!
Click HERE to listen to the audio
(Click on the titles below for details.)
From Tim and Ellen:
To Be Told, a book by Dan B. Allender
Be Not Afraid: Facing Fear with Faith, a book by Samuel Wells
“Inflammation of the Heart”, an article by Curt Thompson
“A Body of Work”, an article by Curt Thompson
A Charlottesville Counseling Resource List from New City Counseling
And other resources:
“Words of Hope for Today”, an interview with Dan Allender
“On Anxiety, Calm + Over/Under Functioning”, podast with Brene Brown
“Jesus and Your Brain”, Curt Thompson at the Bonhoeffer House
Legitimate Longings on the Road to “Adulthood” | By Temi Akinola '20
As a child, I can remember listening to the sounds of a zealous Nigerian pastor while she or he would fervently proclaim behind the podium, “to live is CHRIST and to DIE is gain”. This would usually be followed by something along the lines of “If you’re not ready to suffer for the Lord, you are simply not doing it right” or better yet, “we did NOT come here to have fun, we came here to do the work of the Jesus Christ!”
As I grew older and later developed a personal relationship with the Lord, I began to realize that phrases such as these became embedded in my outlook towards obedience and vocational calling. In my view, God not only favored the stoic suffering of those who made noble sacrifices, but he also placed a hierarchy on the kinds of work that we do. In Nigerian and other west African households, there is a common joke amongst children that we each have three career options: either being a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer. Why these three, you might ask? These three not only guaranteed the most “stability,” but they also ensured that we’d make the best use of our resources without playing around with our God-given talents. As my dad would often say, “it’s not about what you want, it’s about what is best”. So, in the same way that those late-night prayer services were not about having fun, or about whether I wanted to be there, I envisioned that my calling was less about my joy and more about effect. God had called me to take the road less traveled by and for that reason, I was not allowed to choose what I loved but instead I was required to do whatever would leave the most profound impact.
Last fall, during a “fellows” retreat, a group discussion leader pulled out a picture of what he termed the “Discernment Daisy”. In the top left corner of the photo, there was a Sun that contained the description “Presence of God-without which nothing grows” written directly in the center. Beneath this sun, there was a six-petalled flower each of which represented a specific element in our life that could help us decipher what comes next.
One of these petals stated “desire”. In James K.A Smith’s You are What You Love he writes “Jesus is a teacher who doesn’t just inform our intellect but forms our very loves”. He then goes on to say “what if you are defined not by what you know but by what you desire”. For me, this statement was revolutionary. I realized that what I want will become what is best, when I allow my longings to be fashioned by the Lord. These words reminded me, that in the presence of God, my desires are His. My loves, my cares, my passion, my calling are all His. Whether those desires include sitting still and enjoying a cup of hot green tea while I listen to my friend talk about her post-grad struggles, traveling to a country outside of the western hemisphere, being the future president (LOL), going to grad school, HAVING FUN or ALL of those things- at once. They are all legitimate desires, and they don’t exist in spite of God’s calling, nor should they be ranked as more legitimate or more noble simply because one involves a more standard conception of sacrifice or “getting down to business”. They exist, and for that reason, they are all together blessed.
Reflections on the Pandemic | Fellow Brendan Berkel, '20
This virus pandemic sucks. A lot. I (nor has my fam) haven’t been directly affected by the virus, but it pains me to see the world getting damaged by it. Due to a lack of ventilators and other resources, many doctors in Italy, if they have survived the virus, eventually decide who gets to live or not (depending on age, status, etc…) which isn’t fair. Many people within our very country will probably be infected, and may even die, without any access to reasonable healthcare. The list goes on and on.
For the past few weeks, the greater Christian community has been discussing Lament, and what it looks like practically to lament during this time. But I, personally, have experienced more anger than sadness. At the root of it, I guess I am angry at the fact that I never really had control of anything to begin with. But I am upset at the fact that many things people have been working on will seem to never come to fruition. Maybe you were lifting and working out in preparation for warm weather days on the beach, which might not happen this year. Maybe you were grinding the first 3 years of college, and now you don’t get to experience that ‘easy 4th Year spring semester’. Or maybe jobs / internships you once had are no longer secured. Or maybe you have been striving to get your family back on their feet, just to experience unemployment once again. I’ve often found myself checking the corona numbers every other hour of the day, disappointed every time. And I will sometimes even convince myself that this will be over sooner than expected. I guess I am just upset with the way things are right now.
One good thing I have seen come out of quarantine (for me at least) is getting to spend time with family. Next year, 3 of the 4 siblings will be in college, and it is not often that all 6 of us are under the same roof for an extended period of time. My youngest sister will be an ‘only child’ for all of middle and high school, so us spending quarantine time with her will be very formative, I hope. This also seems like a ‘reset’ for a lot of people; I have never seen parks, walkways, and sidewalks more crowded with people walking and exercising. And that is much needed, especially during a time where TV’s and cell phones govern our lives. I understand that some homes are not the same as mine, and some families don’t quite function well when everyone is cooped up in a house for an extended amount of time.
My pastor at home said that the Lord may be using this time to expose us to our sins which we have buried in our busyness. I have had a lot of time to reflect on my life and my past decisions, and it’s sometimes scary to rediscover the things I have said and done. But the Lord does not expose us to shame us or call us out; He is simply reminding us of our need for Him. Even in the midst of my anger over lack of control, He has called me to lean into Him, and trust Him. I think about the future daily, and I love to plan for the weeks and months to come. I also find myself thinking about the past, and the many things I could have done differently. But it is important to recognize that the Lord is calling us to live in THIS moment, NOT to worry about the past (Philippians 3), and NOT to worry about the future (Luke 12).
To conclude, I am thankful for our Lord and Savior. I pray that His will be done, regardless of our suggestions or requests. I pray that we utilize and make use of the bread He gives us day to day. I pray that we, in the midst of this pandemic, continue to forgive wrongdoers, and I pray that we are reminded that Christ continues to forgive us. I pray that He leads us away from the temptations of our previous and current sins, and I pray that He delivers us this pandemic, from this evil product of sin. Ultimately, in all that we do during this time, to God be the glory.
Video! Micah Iverson on dreams, prayer & time in "Across the Horizons" conversation
Catch up with Micah at home in Atlanta, and find out the gifts he's discovering during this time of quarantine. Another video in our "Across the Horizons" interviews with friends far and near!
Living Intentionally - Reflections by Fellow Celine Opoku '20
From someone who has moved a few times during my life, the concept of staying somewhere for more than six or seven years seemed a bit intriguing to me. I always held the notion that we weren't meant to stay in one place but to venture to others. Yet, during a recent Fellow gathering, we discussed what it meant to intentionally live in an area. This comprises genuinely getting to know your neighbors, giving back to the community around you, and living out life in a way that most individuals don't.
If you asked me the name of my next-door neighbor who lives in the house next to mine, I wouldn't be able to tell you. This is the case, despite seeing them occasionally and saying the usual, "Hello, how are you?" Our neighbor to the right of us knows us because he mows our lawn as a relaxing past time. Sadly, I cannot even tell you this man's name or his family's. Yet, when he sees me coming back from school, he'll ask me how school is going and how my family is doing.
This relation between my neighbors is indicative of how our society has become. We have become very individualistic and don't take the time or effort to get to know those who surround us. Even though they may not be in our closest circles, it's a relationship that should still be forged. The two speakers who spoke that night in February were community leaders who graduated from UVa and settled in Charlottesville permanently. They intentionally decided to live in neighborhoods that were below their income levels. That amazed me because it's unheard of for people to live in a place well below their budget. It's a bit radical, but in the proper sense of the word.
Hearing their experiences made me really think about what I saw as truly living. I always considered myself a shaker. I never imagined myself to be like Wendell Berry, who had a farm out in nature and lived his life free from the materiality and the restlessness of the world. Therefore, it really put things into perspective for me.
As I go into the next phase of life, I will always consider and be intentional about forming relationships with the individuals around me. This starts with where I live now. A community isn't merely made up of believers, but in those who live in the cul-de-sac of your subdivision, just like mine. Who knows? Your neighbors may be believers, or you can draw them to Christ, and we can encourage establishing a community with one another.
Caring for one another: our commitment to community
Dear friends of Theological Horizons:
As we continue to receive news of our world's health crisis and its fallout, each of us surely experiences a myriad of responses. If we weren't already keenly aware of our own vulnerability, or that of our family and communities, we are surely feeling it now. The Gospel message speaks most saliently to those who are most fragile. Jesus Christ offers an unflinching hope to all who are in the grip of fear, loneliness and despair. How might we live into this hope together?
At Theological Horizons, our mission is to support Christians and seekers by providing a welcoming community for engaging faith, thought and life. During this unusual time, our work of support and community continues in new and creative ways.
Today we invite you into our renewed virtual community --- to both expose places of fear and receive God's indomitable love. Join us virtually to deepen our connections to one another; we need not fear isolation. Theological Horizons is moving all of our regular programs online in a variety of ways. Here are a few:
*Karen will lead Vintage Lunch teachings via an online platform (Zoom or Facebook live).
*Lenten e-devotionals will arrive in your email inbox each week.
*The Vintage Saints and Sinners Podcast is archived for streaming and we'll highlight one episode with extra resources each week.
*We are offering small group conversations and prayer gatherings for students via online platforms.
*We are be available for personal, one on one support via phone and FaceTime.
*We will feature "Best of Theological Horizons" video and audio lectures and workshops on our website.
Find all of this and more at theologicalhorizos.org.
Most importantly, we offer one another the powerful ministry of prayer. Join us in prayers of protection, especially for our elderly friends and healthcare providers on the frontlines. Lift up prayers for wisdom, especially for our those tasked with deciding our next steps as communities.
Know you are not alone and know you are loved by the great God of the Universe.
In faith, hope and love
Karen Marsh
P.S. We share a poem below (with thanks to All Souls Charlottesville)
Pandemic by Lynn Ungar
What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your love—
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.
Lent: Unexpected Gifts in Difficult Times
Patrick (385-461)
From Patrick’s Confession
(Our favorite version of this text is translated by John Skinner with a foreword by John O’Donohue)
My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many. My father was Calpornius. He was a deacon; his father was Potitus, a priest, who lived at Bannavem Taburniae. His home was near there, and that is where I was taken prisoner. I was about sixteen at the time. At that time, I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity in Ireland, along with thousands of others. We deserved this, because we had gone away from God, and did not keep his commandments. We would not listen to our priests, who advised us about how we could be saved. The Lord brought his strong anger upon us, and scattered us among many nations even to the ends of the earth.
It was among foreigners that it was seen how little I was. It was there that the Lord opened up my awareness of my lack of faith. Even though it came about late, I recognized my failings. So I turned with all my heart to the Lord my God, and he looked down on my lowliness and had mercy on my youthful ignorance. He guarded me before I knew him, and before I came to wisdom and could distinguish between good and evil. He protected me and consoled me as a father does for his son. That is why I cannot be silent – nor would it be good to do so – about such great blessings and such a gift that the Lord so kindly bestowed in the land of my captivity. This is how we can repay such blessings, when our lives change and we come to know God, to praise and bear witness to his great wonders before every nation under heaven…. He said through the prophet: ‘Call on me in the day of your distress, and I will set you free, and you will glorify me.’ Again he said: ‘It is a matter of honour to reveal and tell forth the works of God.’ Although I am imperfect in many ways, I want my brothers and relations to know what I’m really like, so that they can see what it is that inspires my life….
So I am first of all a simple country person, a refugee, and unlearned. I do not know how to provide for the future. But this I know for certain, that before I was brought low, I was like a stone lying deep in the mud. Then he who is powerful came and in his mercy pulled me out, and lifted me up and placed me on the very top of the wall. That is why I must shout aloud in return to the Lord for such great good deeds of his, here and now and forever, which the human mind cannot measure. So be amazed, all you people great and small who fear God! You well-educated people in authority, listen and examine this carefully. Who was it who called one as foolish as I am from the middle of those who are seen to be wise and experienced in law and powerful in speech and in everything? If I am most looked down upon, yet he inspired me, before others, so that I would faithfully serve the nations with awe and reverence and without blame: the nations to whom the love of Christ brought me. His gift was that I would spend my life, if I were worthy of it, to serving them in truth and with humility to the end.
In the knowledge of this faith in the Trinity, and without letting the dangers prevent it, it is right to make known the gift of God and his eternal consolation. It is right to spread abroad the name of God faithfully and without fear, so that even after my death I may leave something of value to the many thousands of my brothers and sisters – the children whom I baptised in the Lord. I didn’t deserve at all that the Lord would grant such great grace, after hardships and troubles, after captivity, and after so many years among that people. It was something which, when I was young, I never hoped for or even thought of.
After I arrived in Ireland, I tended sheep every day, and I prayed frequently during the day. More and more the love of God increased, and my sense of awe before God. Faith grew, and my spirit was moved, so that in one day I would pray up to one hundred times, and at night perhaps the same. I even remained in the woods and on the mountain, and I would rise to pray before dawn in snow and ice and rain. I never felt the worse for it, and I never felt lazy – as I realise now, the spirit was burning in me at that time. It was there one night in my sleep that I heard a voice saying to me: “You have fasted well. Very soon you will return to your native country.” Again after a short while, I heard a someone saying to me: “Look – your ship is ready.” It was not nearby, but a good two hundred miles away. I had never been to the place, nor did I know anyone there. So I ran away then, and left the man with whom I had been for six years. It was in the strength of God that I went – God who turned the direction of my life to good; I feared nothing while I was on the journey to that ship…..
A few years later I was again with my parents in Britain. They welcomed me as a son, and they pleaded with me that, after all the many tribulations I had undergone, I should never leave them again. It was while I was there that I saw, in a vision in the night, a man whose name was Victoricus coming as it were from Ireland with so many letters they could not be counted. He gave me one of these, and I read the beginning of the letter, the voice of the Irish people. While I was reading out the beginning of the letter, I thought I heard at that moment the voice of those who were beside the wood of Voclut, near the western sea. They called out as it were with one voice: “We beg you, holy boy, to come and walk again among us.” This touched my heart deeply, and I could not read any further; I woke up then. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord granted them what they were calling for. Another night – I do not know, God knows, whether it was within me or beside me – I heard authoritative words which I could hear but not understand, until at the end of the speech it became clear: “The one who gave his life for you, he it is who speaks in you”; and I awoke full of joy…..
So I’ll never stop giving thanks to my God, who kept me faithful in the time of my temptation. I can today with confidence offer my soul to Christ my Lord as a living victim. He is the one who defended me in all my difficulties. I can say: Who am I, Lord, or what is my calling, that you have worked with me with such divine presence? This is how I come to praise and magnify your name among the nations all the time, wherever I am, not only in good times but in the difficult times too. Whatever comes about for me, good or bad, I ought to accept them equally and give thanks to God. He has shown me that I can put my faith in him without wavering and without end. However ignorant I am, he has heard me, so that in these late days I can dare to undertake such a holy and wonderful work. In this way I can imitate somewhat those whom the Lord foretold would announce his gospel in witness to all nations before the end of the world. This is what we see has been fulfilled. Look at us: we are witnesses that the gospel has been preached right out to where there is nobody else there!
Breastplate prayer of Saint Patrick
Christ to protect me today against poison, against burning, against drowning, against wounding, so that there may come abundance of reward. Christ is with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me. Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
Lenten Resources
Here are some of my favorite resources for Lent. Share your own in the comment area!
ONLINE
Sacred Space Scripture and Daily Prayer to read online
You can get the print version of Sacred Space book for Lent on amazon. It's only 3.95!
Pray as you go daily Scripture and music podcast. Download the app, too.
Wonderful collection of poetry for Lent and Easter
Common Pray for Ordinary Radicals online -- you can get the hard copy of the book, too
Painted Prayer Book -- Jan Richardson is a painter and writer with some wonderful reflections, images poems...
The Lenten Project - Center for Christianity, Culture & the Arts Biola University
BOOKS
Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion Through Ten Objects by Jill Duffield
Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter my favorite Lent and Easter book ever
Pauses for Lent: 40 Words for 40 Days by Trevor Hudson
Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent by Richard Rohr
Show Me the Way: Daily Lenten Readings by Henri Nouwen
His Kingdom Here | Reflection by Claire Stemann '20
The past four years have opened my eyes to the brokenness of this world, but have also formed in me a new understanding of the call to bring God’s Kingdom to this world. Because of my experience interning at International Justice Mission and studying public policy, I’ve wept about broken criminal justice systems abroad as well as punitive policies in the States. I’ve prayed for the end of impunity, while also praying for mercy. It is challenging for me to hold these things together, but not for Jesus.
The call to bring God’s Kingdom to earth was unfamiliar to me before my time at UVA. Here, I have learned that Jesus is making all things new, and we are given the privilege to participate in this work with other followers of Jesus. People have taught me how justice and human dignity were originally championed by the church. Since first encountering these ideas, my time here has allowed me to grow to better understand the call to bring God’s Kingdom to this earth that He loves.
Before a recent Fellows gathering, we read about how lament “allows for the crying out against injustices.” Our hope of triumph over injustice “rests not on human strength to fix the problems of the world but on the power of a sovereign God.” This reading and another recent conversation are teaching me to be cautious to avoid seeking the Kingdom apart from the King. As my friends and I prepare to pursue justice in countless fields through endeavors that are pleasing to God, this reading reminds us not to rely on our strength, but rather on God’s power, as we work to bring the good things of His Kingdom to our world.
The concept of justice being central to the Christian life is something that I will carry with me as I leave this school that I love. Encountering God’s Word through learning about Amos in an Old Testament course, the faithful teaching of my campus minister, truth spoken at the church I attend in Charlottesville, and discussions with a small group of fourth years that meet on Thursday evenings (my fellow Fellows!) has better prepared me to seek the things of the Kingdom, such as justice, with the King.
A tribute to John M. Perkins by Lawson Wijesooriya '02
A boy in black skin born into God’s story in rural Mississippi in 1930. His young life too full of loss, injustice, racism, and violence. A girl in white skin born into God’s story in suburban New Jersey in 1980. Her young life too full of privilege, access, and greed. God has each of their names written in His book, and in 1999, He wrote their stories together for His kairos moment of my salvation.
The Bible says “give honor to whom honor is due.” Thank you to Theological Horizons for giving me the gift of an opportunity to publicly honor this hero in the faith, Dr. John Perkins. I hope to honor Dr. Perkins today by giving testimony to how God used Dr. Perkins’ humanity in the saving of mine. My pastor, Don Coleman, often prays “Lord, take advantage of my humanity for your divine purposes.”
These are stories of answering that type of prayer as Dr. Perkins has been both an evangelist and a prophet in my life.
I came to the University of Virginia as a first year student from a culturally catholic, white, wealthy family. I was open and curious about things of faith and was raised with a strong moral compass, but when some friends invited me to go to Mississippi for our spring break to participate in racial reconciliation of the body of Christ, I had no idea what I was in for. I actually did not even know what any of those words meant, but because our God is a gracious God, I said yes and hopped on a bus heading south.
There are many stories to tell from my first week at Voice of Calvary, but suffice it is to say I have been forever grateful that I did not instead go party at Myrtle Beach that week, because I met Dr. Perkins, I met my best friends, I met my husband, I met my future, and I met Jesus. We worshipped together, we painted health clinics, we cleared brush, we had bible studies with local ministry leaders, and we were welcomed by Dr. Perkins and his team into a life of seeing and connecting with the oppressed, the down and out, and the poor. About half way through our week, we loaded onto a bus and were taken on a tour of Jackson to see directly the legacy of chattel slavery, failed reconstruction, Jim Crow, and red lining. Dr. Perkins has called this bus tour my moment of repentance, because as I experienced deep anger at the oblivious, self absorbed white perpetuators of this unjust system, God turned the camera onto me and gently, compassionately helped me to see myself and the chains that my privilege had me in. Later that night, two days before my 19th birthday, I was born again as I admitted my morality was not strong enough to save me and received the gift of grace. Jesus had found me and I had found Jesus inside of Dr. Perkins, inside of this reconciling community, inside of this movement and struggle for justice and once we found each other there, I wanted to be where He was at any cost.
The life of pursuing the beloved community was the full life, and if there was sacrifice, I have only experienced it as the giving up of worthless things for the real treasure. Dr. Perkins, in both his words and his actions, invited me into a WHOLE gospel, a lived theology, and a life where my liberation was bound up with the liberation of the widows, the orphans, the oppressed, the imprisoned.
So fast forward in the story, I left the Jackson trip, headed straight to a bookstore the next day, bought this Bible, and started to read it. I signed up for classes with this wonderful new professor named Charles Marsh, listened to MLK sermons, went back to Jackson for all my spring breaks, wrote my thesis paper on Dr. Perkins, and I fell in love with Romesh who had unwavering commitment to this whole gospel living. As a young married couple we formed an intentional committed community with three other couples and relocated to the East End of Richmond at the invitation of Don Coleman, pastor and God’s appointed indigenous reconciler of the community.
From 2004 to 2007 we were living the life we felt called to and trying to pursue those three R’s faithfully. In November of 2007, I had another fateful bus tour with Dr. Perkins. He was brought to Richmond by the Navigators to tour the CCDA work around our city. After the bus tour, Dr. Perkins sat on my best friends’ couch with an eager group of young followers hoping to absorb more wisdom and desiring this spiritual father to look upon us and say, “well done, my good and faithful servants.” As he shared his perspective on Richmond, he celebrated the work of the Christ-centered tutoring, job training, and health clinics that he has visited. And then he took a pause, and said, “but you all need to be worshipping together.” As a prophet, God spoke through him to our community to remind us that all this work to uplift the poor is in vain if not from the foundation of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We received this good medicine with conviction and clarity. Our monthly gatherings called East End Fellowship grew into a local church expression with a weekly public worship service within three months of Perkins visit. God was on the move.
Thank you Dr. Perkins, for responding to your own call to follow Jesus back to the place from which you came and for your life-changing invitation to me and so many others to join you in Beloved Community. Inside of Beloved Community we are a rich people, with a good God, and the eternal grace to see us through.
Words on Ash Wednesday
Holy Spirit, giving life to all life, moving all creatures, root of all things, washing them clean, wiping out their mistakes, healing their wounds, you are our true life, luminous, wonderful, awakening the heart from its ancient sleep. Amen (Hildegard von Bingen)
Lent is not just a time for squaring conscious accounts: It’s a time for opening our eyes to what we had, perhaps, not seen before. Lent is given to us as season of light-- to help us see what is true. And so We begin this morning – in this dim daybreak. On this Ash Wednesday. Let us dare to see.
Psalm 51 opens with the words, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love, According to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.”
The liturgy of Ash Wednesday is focused not on the sinfulness of the penitent But on the mercy of God. Yes, this is a day for sinners. The just do not need a savior. The reminder of sinfulness is raised to remind us that this is a day of mercy. . It's difficult to experience the mercy of God. It's hard to feel forgiven. And other Christians don’t help much with this. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in Life Together, in the church "we are not allowed to be sinners": He says,
The pious community permits no one to be a sinner. Hence all have to conceal their sins from themselves and from the community. We are not allowed to be sinners. Many Christians would be unimaginably horrified if a real sinner were suddenly to turn up among the pious. So we remain alone with our sin, trapped in lies and hypocrisy, for we are in fact sinners.
The poet Joyce Rupp sees with us the pain of hiding our sin, The hiding, even as we long for God.. She writes this “Prayer of One Who Feels Lost”:
Dear God, why do I keep fighting you off? One part of me wants you desperately, another part of me unknowingly pushes you back and runs away. What is there in me that so contradicts my desire for you? These transition days, these passage ways, are calling me to let go of old securities, to give myself over into your hands. Like Jesus who struggled with the pain I, too, fight the “let it all be done.” Loneliness, lostness, non-belonging, all these hurts strike out at me, leaving me pained with this present goodbye. I want to be more but I fight the growing. I want to be new but I hang onto the old. I want to live but I won’t face the dying. I want to be whole but cannot bear to gather up the pieces into one. Is it that I refuse to be out of control, to let the tears take their humbling journey, to allow my spirit to feel its depression, to stay with the insecurity of “no home”? Now is the time. You call to me, begging me to let you have my life, inviting me to taste the darkness so I can be filled with the light, allowing me to lose my direction so that I will find my way home to you.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, too, helps us to see that even in our conflict, under the merciful gaze of God you and I are allowed to be sinners. Bonhoeffer writes:
The grace of the gospel, which is so hard for the pious to comprehend, confronts us with the truth. It says to us, you are a sinner, a great, unholy sinner. Now come, as the sinner that you are, to your God who loves you. For God wants you as you are, not desiring anything from you – a sacrifice, a good deed – but rather desiring you alone. God has come to you to make the sinner blessed. Rejoice! This message is liberation through truth. You cannot hide from God. The mask you wear in the presence of other people won’t get you anywhere in the presence of God. God wants to see you as you are, wants to be gracious to you. You do not have to go on lying to yourself and to other Christians as if you were without sin. You are allowed to be a sinner...
The prophet Joel invites us too, saying:
But now, now, it is Yahweh who speaks: Come back to me with all your heart Fasting, weeping and mourning Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn Turn to Yahweh again For Yahweh is all tenderness and compassion Slow to anger Rich in graciousness And ready to relent. (Joel 2:12-13)
Jessica Powers gives us an image of this kind of returning in her poem, “The Garments of God”:
God sits on a chair of darkness in my soul. He is God alone, supreme in His majesty. I sit at his feet, a child in the dark beside Him; my joy is aware of His glance and my sorrow is tempted to nest on the thought that His face is turned from me. He is clothed in the robes of His mercy, voluminous garments not velvet or silk and affable to the touch, but fabric strong for a frantic hand to clutch, and I hold to it fast with the fingers of my will. Here is my cry of faith, my deep avowal to the Divinity that I am dust. Advertisement Here is the loud profession of my trust. I will not go abroad to the hills of speech or the hinterlands of music for a crier to walk in my soul where all is still. I have this potent prayer through good or ill: here in the dark I clutch the garments of God.
We hear again echoes of the Psalmist: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love, According to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.”
Today we are invited to begin to see anew. our sinfulness, yes, but blazing forth, the light of the mercy of God. Today you and I are asked to rend our hearts.
Hear Jan Richardson’s “Blessing for Ash Wednesday”:
To receive this blessing, all you have to do is let your heart break. Let it crack open. Let it fall apart so that you can see its secret chambers, the hidden spaces where you have hesitated to go. Your entire life is here, inscribed whole upon your heart’s walls: every path taken or left behind, every face you turned toward or turned away, every word spoken in love or in rage, every line of your life you would prefer to leave in shadow, every story that shimmers with treasures known and those you have yet to find. It could take you days to wander these rooms. Forty, at least. And so let this be a season for wandering, for trusting the breaking, for tracing the rupture that will return you to the One who waits, who watches, who works within the rending to make your heart whole.
Emotionally Healthy Activism workshop with Jonathan Walton | Watch here!
How do we pursue social justice in ways that are physically and emotionally sustainable? What is the relationship between activism and rest? What does emotionally healthy activism look like after August 12th? To explore these questions, Abundant Life and First United Methodist Church recently hosted InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Area Director Jonathan Walton for an interactive workshop titled “Emotionally Healthy Activism: Turning Moments into Sustainable Movements.” The author of Twelve Lies that Hold America Captive and the Truth that Sets Us Free drew on his experience as an activist and his expertise in Experiential Discipleship and Spiritual Formation to lead the workshop.
Jonathan invited attendees to probe the relationship between our inner lives and our outward social engagement. Too often we can commit ourselves to serving our communities, but then experience burnout or discouragement if we haven’t attended to how we are doing internally. After establishing that we are all called to the work of activism as people who stand against the patterns of the world that oppose God’s kingdom, Jonathan helped us to reflect on how we can engage in that work sustainably.
THE 4 ‘R’S
Next, Jonathan outlined a framework called the “4 Rs”: Rest, Restore, Resist, Repeat. “Rest” refers to the rhythms of our lives when we resist the cultural idol of busyness and instead engage in practices of rest and sabbath. “Restore” refers to taking advantage of opportunities to do things that give us joy and life, and foster intimacy with God. “Resist” denotes the ways that we should actively oppose the social forces and structures that stand against God’s kingdom. Finally, “Repeating” these rhythms can position us to do impactful community work for the long haul.
For the full workshop, check out the video below. In addition to Charlottesville First United Methodist Church, Abundant Life would like to thank Charlottesville Vineyard Church, Faith Christian Center International, Christ Episcopal Church, Olivet Presbyterian Church, and Project on Lived Theology for partnering with us in putting on this event!
This post was written by Nathan Walton and shared with permission from Abundant Life Ministry.
Watch the video of the John Perkins Dome Room Lecture HERE!
Click HERE to Livestream the John Perkins Dome Room Capps Lecture at the University of Virginia.
Long time friend of Theological Horizons and nationally revered civil rights activist from Jackson, MS, Dr. John M. Perkins was our Capps Lecture speaker on Feb 22, 2020 in the UVa Rotunda. His lecture, "Parting Thoughts on Race and Love" was sponsored by the Project on Lived Theology at UVa, the Department of Religious Studies, and Theological Horizons. Perkins was joined by Dr. Nathan Walton, a UVa PhD and Executive Director of Charlottesville's Abundant Life Ministries, who will moderate the discussion. Watch the LIVESTREAM here.
What I Love About Vintage Lunch - Kat
Fourth-year Katie Cantone is a regular at Theological Horizon’s Vintage Lunch this school year, and wanted to share why she loves Vintage Lunch and why she keeps coming back!
Vintage has changed my spiritual, social, and emotional life in ways I never could have anticipated; while I wish I hadn’t waited until my fourth year to give it a chance, I know that things happening this way was part of my faith journey. Vintage is the first space I have experienced at UVA that has offered completely open doors—without expectations for who I should or should not be, without limitations on which friends I can bring, without conditions on the extension of hospitality. Vintage is peace embodied. It is life-giving community in action, through all and for all.
-Katie Cantone
What I Love About Vintage Lunch
Isabelle Andrews is a fourth year graduating with an interdisciplinary degree in English, media studies, and drama, and is also a Horizons Fellow ‘20. Since her first year at UVA, Isabelle has attended Theological Horizons’ Vintage Lunch and wanted to share the impact the program and the community have had on her life and faith-journey.
Vintage is an open, inviting space with free lunch and no pressure. We hear Karen (a wonderful steward of conversation) share about a Christian person (maybe a Roman priest, Coretta Scott King, or a French mystic girl). The people are always surprising, inspiring, flawed, full, and somehow accessible even when from long ago / far away. They struggle and write openly about being atheist or finding god or losing and gaining faith. They’re often socially involved as activists or outspoken women. Then Karen invites us to reflect on the readings and we have a conversation about things that stick out to us. People come from all perspectives and she does not assume everyone in the room is Christian. I find it a rare space because religious organizations can often seem intimidating. Ginger (the dog) wanders around, we have a couple minutes of silent reflection before we start, and we often get up in the middle of discussion for leftovers. It’s wonderful.
Vintage fills me with a hopeful, intellectual, and socially involved space to talk about the interaction of faith with our lives as we lead them now. We get inspired by the commonalities we have with Christians from all over in all times, and then Karen often includes resources or tips for how to incorporate lessons into our current UVA lives (ex: breath prayer from an eastern orthodox tradition, the importance of sleep backed up by scripture, New York Times article for the importance of sunlight for mental health, exercises for listening and being a good friend, videos on racial reconciliation within Charlottesville). It’s a very rich experience. I always leave somehow rested and energized - calm and centered.
I really appreciate this as a weekly practice. We can all get busy and prioritize other things, but it is such a grounding weekly routine: communing together, speaking, reflecting silently, eating together, asking questions, or just listening - all in an hour. Very easy and simple and different each time so a good thing for anyone. All of that earlier stuff-plus the community aspect of it. I get to see friends I may not otherwise see since we have different classes/schedules. There are also people from a bunch of faith groups - so our dialogue is LIVELY. I appreciate that. On Fridays I know I have a home cooked meal and a group of people I’ll learn from and a handout I can take home and reread to learn about Henri Nouwen or the importance of humor in Christian life or activism or meditation. It’s great.
-Isabelle Andrews, Horizons Fellow ‘20
The Capacity to Care | Michelle Abban '20
Being at UVA, I realize how easy it is to block ourselves from caring about the outside world. Or it feels like we can only care in comfortable ways for short periods of time. Over the last four years, I have wrestled with what it means to truly care and to allow someone else’s life to affect my own. There is something powerful about caring because before anything can be addressed, we have to understand how people are feeling or ways our actions are affecting people. It involves wrestling with uncomfortable truths and recognizing how we benefit from other people’s pain.
This is a call to all UVA students to stop for a moment and to care. Think about how big the world is and how many bad things are happening. Take time to pray, cry, read, research the things that affect the world. Dig into the deepest part of yourself and try to connect to people who seem completely different from you. Think about how any potential actions you take can affect people you want to help. Listen to people’s stories. Actually check your privilege often. Repeat.
Then let see how our actions change. If we take this time to care we will be more intentional with our steps and will learn to listen first. We can learn to lead by listening and not by control. Because we are not the center of the world. And if we want to really help people we better get used to being on the periphery.
Limited edition print of John M. Perkins portrait
Available the end of February, this limited edition giclee print of an original oil painting by Christen Yates will be hand signed by the artist as well as John M. Perkins. They will be professionally printed in a series of 24 color and 24 black & white - 11 x 14 inches each.
Proceeds will go toward our Perkins Fellows programming.