Acknowledge & Bewail

This weekend was Calvary Episcopal Church's 150th anniversary as a parish. There was a celebration on Sat: Ice Cream Social, many people dressed in costumes from various periods over the last 150 years, there were skits, story telling and a black choir and preacher came to lead a praise and worship service. At one point in our history, the land on which the church was built as well as the surrounding houses, were deeded for whites only. It's hard for us to believe, but this was a common practice in the South after the civil war. There are little lots in the area which were deeded for coloured people because employers wanted their servants living on the property. Thankfully we have come a long way and we are still moving towards equality. Racism has no place in the Body of Christ!

I am so thankful in heaven we will truly see people as God sees us. No partiality.

Sunday, we used the 1789 Book of Common prayer and sung hymns written prior to 1859. It was nice to visit the old liturgy. In the 1789 confession, we acknowlege and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness which we from time to time greviously commit....from time to time...those words make me laugh out loud, they are in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer as well...there are days when I commit them from minute to minute and I don't think I always acknowledge or bewail them...until later in the day.

Let us live out the Gospel and love all people, Scripture tells us:

Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

And let us acknowledge and bewail accordingly...