“Whatever is going on in the world or in our lives, there are always blessings. What are the blessings in your life? For what are you thankful? Perhaps it is supportive family and friends or a warm place to call home. Perhaps it is the ability to get up each morning and live a new day or a bed to rest in after a tiring day. However large or small your blessings are, Thursday is an opportunity to name them and include them in a prayer of thanks to God.”

“…we often fail to see what is right in front of us. We take the present moment for granted instead of being ‘acutely aware’ of it. So, we miss the opportunity to rejoice in the beauty around us or to celebrate the relationship of the person we are with. Or we push away our grief from the loss we’re experiencing or the opportunity to care for the neighbor who is hurting. We miss the gifts of the season we’re in because we’re living too soon in the season to come.”

“We are not powerless. We are not subject to the capricious whims of gods or anyone else. We are created with the divine spark of goodness, a spark which fills us with the power of a loving and gracious God. This same God equips us and calls us to share God’s goodness with our neighbors and all of creation.”

‘“Inspired by sacred worship and Jesus’ call to love our neighbor, St. Paul’s welcomes and serves all with a commitment to justice, inclusion and generous hospitality.’ This is who we are. This is what we do. We are a people committed to sharing Christ’s love, creating community and striving for justice. People need Jesus’ compassion today. We are the people called to share it.”

“I invite you to pray these prayers with me from Friday, November 1 through the day after the election. Whatever our political differences may be, this is a way we can unite ourselves in faith.”

“…Words have power. They have the power to lift up or push down, to encourage or discourage, to include or exclude. Words can inspire us to love or to hate, to work for justice or to turn a blind eye to injustice. They can fill us with hope or fear, with courage or despair.”

“If you feel anxious about the upcoming election, you are not alone. In my conversations, some people seek comfort, wanting assurance that God is with them. Others seek direction, some way to channel their anxiety into positive action…”

"Bear witness to Christ in your life so others see a different way of being Christian. Follow St. Paul’s teaching to live by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)"