Matt Skolnik, General Presbyter of Muskingum Valley Presbytery, provided a thought-provoking article in the Presbyterian Outlook, entitled “Order in Chaos: Participating in God’s Ordering from our Anguish.”
Rev. Anne Hebert, Moderator of Mackinac Presbytery, offered a prayer for her presbytery, written by George MacLeod of the Iona Community in Scotland called “An Earth Redeemed.”
An Earth Redeemed
When we partake of the living bread and the living vine, our triune God,
help us to know ourselves to have part in an earth redeemed;
Help us to know ourselves to have part in new life blood for the world:
to cling together as branches to the vine,
to give both shade and refreshment to the world.
Help us to be Thy healing spirit in the world
till all shall be pervaded.
So shall we freshly partake;
So shall we freshly purvey;
So shall we freshly be Thy life of love
till Thou shall come to judge.
God the Creator, Thou hast made the bread.
Christ the Redeemer, Thou hast changed it.
Holy Spirit, the Binder, Thou dost convey it:
bread for our touching, food for our soul:
Even as lives are bound together in Thee.
God the Creator, thou hast made the vine.
Christ the Redeemer: though hast changed it.
Holy Spirit, the Binder, Thou dost convey it:
the cup from hand to hand, the life blood from heart to heart:
Even as our lives are bound together in Thee.
God the Creator, Thou hast changed us.
Christ the Redeemer, Thou hast changed us.
Holy Spirit, the Binder, Thou dost keep us changed:
Even as our lives are bound together in Thee.