We close the Pennsylvania installment of the “Advocating on the Road” series with this reflection.
A reflection by The Rev. Paul L. Lubold,
Western PA Advocacy Developer, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa)
We hope you enjoyed your “visit” to Pennsylvania, and the discussion offracking. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) thanks you for visiting us in the “Keystone State,” although Pennsylvania is technically not a “state,” but a “commonwealth.” We are, as William Penn described us, a “grand experiment.” While the Rev. Amy Reumann was the ‘tour guide’ that got us going, this leg of the ELCA “Advocating on the Road” blog series was greatly enriched by the interaction of grassroots leaders along the way and we’re grateful for their voices.
I invite you to share in this closing prayer as we leave Pennsylvania, and move on to our next destination.
Creator God, we are among your creatures, recognizing the responsibility you have entrusted to us – as ‘stewards’ and ‘caretakers’ of this planet we call home. Our current conversation about frackingis both complex and divisive. It is also of great importance.
Bless us as we continue to discuss and learn. Grant us courage to listen to opinions that are different from ours, and openness to see things from another’s point of view.
Allow your faithful people to remember our central identity– our salvation through Jesus Christ – and to gather around his cross, recognizing that our different convictions ought not divide us.
May we more closely resemble the biblical image of “lions and lambs resting together,” rather than opposing forces waging battle.
Hear our prayers.– .for those trying to earn a “sustainable wage” in the petroleum industry,
for those who live in close proximity, or ‘downstream’ from drilling,
and for our elected officials as they seek the good of the “Commonwealth” of Pennsylvania and our larger nation.
And for leaders of the faith communities, as the ELCA joins with other church bodies, seeking to discern your holy will.
AMEN
