Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The Wright Stuff




A Prayer:


Please, Lord, don't ever let a member of my congregation run for president. For then Inquiring Minds will comb through my sermons in search of salacious and controversial words and sentences.


And they will find them, because, like Pastor Jeremiah Wright, I am not as smart as other preachers. I am not careful about what I say. I do not swear "Do not offend" as my Preacher's Oath.


I, too, have made the outrageous statement that ours is a racist country, which continues to provide advantages to those with lighter skin, and unequal access to those with darker skin.


I have preached about politics, as if the gospel somehow applies to the public sphere. I have named names--the names of those who would make war in The Name--Yahweh, for instance.


Lord, I really hope I'm never a famous or interesting pastor, because my words will not stand up to public scrutiny. If the requirement for preachers is that they dance along the top of a fence, speak in generalities, bow before Caesar, and favor prosperity over truth--I'm toast.


May it ever be so.
Amen


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lord-
May I never have a Pastor who doesn't challenge me. May I always know that she will speak her own truth and let us work out our on conclusions. May I always go to a church that doesn't require that I believe or agree with everything my Pastor says and she is still allowed to say it! Lord, I ask that in our lovely congregation we can continue to confront diffcult issues that may make us uncomfortable but allows us to GROW as humans. Because Lord, I know that is what you wish for us. Growth and passion for the truth. May I always be judged on my own merits and not on the words and beliefs of others.
Thanks God for listening

Niki

Anonymous said...

Donna,
Love the prayer! How are you? I am doing well in Florida.
Blessings,
Polly Deppen

Anonymous said...

Hi Sis,

There are a couple of country songs I heard lately that made me laugh and at the same time think about the corn industry:
International Harvester
Poor old dirt farmer

Happy 4th,
Bill