We are more than what is in front of us. We are built up and built out of our past tense so that it might inform our future.

Hear our future. It’s outside, where the real work of the church happens. God is still doing good in us and in the world and has not given up on building up the kingdom on earth. So, let’s not let our past hold us hostage. Let’s join the revolution.

Even before God’s vision is seen by unbelievers expectations are growing out there and it flows in freestyle music and poetic stories of injustice. This is from lips who didn’t even grow up in our traditions and know nothing of the struggles and source of our convictions.

Maybe we missed something. Maybe we were living out life cycles content to dwell on and in our selfishness, focused and blinded by the past so much so that we didn’t see how history should inform our present tense experiences.

Let’s not live in the past, but live. Let’s build up our present with consideration of the past that is here right now. Here with us. Born to set us free.

It may not feel like it, but this is good news. Unto us a child has been born. A son given.

No secrets here. Everybody will get to see when vision meets reality even if the present condition of these walls reflects a different story.

Let’s make our ruins become our stepping stone raising us up to see what those who watch outside expect with anticipation. That is, before our ruins become the tombstones for our souls.

Yes, Let’s sing songs and celebrate even as we walk out of these doors today. Let’s put on our God-given footware, climb into the mountainous terrain far from our comfort zone and let the good news be open to us and to others as we share about that saving grace, that awesome gift of God, until our feet can walk no more.

We are more than what’s in front of us. We are people of God. Praise be to God.

This liturgical resources was written for a project through Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church. I was invited to write this content for Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary as one of a group of "Millennial/Centennial Voices from the Africana Diaspora." This Prayer is one of three pieces published for Christmas Day in December 2020, inspired by Isaiah 52:7-10.

Of the collection, I wrote: "Beautiful" a responsive reading, "Prayer of Thanksgiving," and "We Are More That What Is In Front Of Us" a sermonic sending forth for a dying church. I have published them seperately here on the blog since the originally published URL for the post from Discipleship Ministries as follows is no longer working on their website: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/millennial-centennial-voices-from-the-africana-diaspora://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/prayers-for-a-time-of-pandemic