GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY

TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE

THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN

AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

It would be fair to say that during the past month our nation’s serenity has been disrupted.  Most Americans watched as the Senate heard testimony from both Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Ford. Opinions were loudly expressed, tears were shed, and it seemed that every shred of civility was cast to the wind. We are wondering what long-term damage has been done to both parties, and how our country will be affected by what we observed. We are exhausted, confused and separated. We are in need of healing.

In times like these, we might return to the sage words of Reinhold Niebuhr who penned the words to what is commonly known as “The Serenity Prayer.”  It is important to acknowledge that “God” is the first word in the prayer, and it is to God who the prayer is addressed. As Christians we believe that God is our protector, our authority, our friend. The prayer asks God to help us distinguish between that which we cannot change and that which requires our effort. It is a plea for direction.

Serenity is a state of being tranquil or calm… along the line of the Queen Mum’s admonition to “keep calm and carry on.”  But our serenity is often disrupted, because we do, indeed, find it difficult to accept the things we cannot change. We prefer to think we’re in control of life, the people around us, and the events life brings us. Then we are reminded “People plan. God laughs.”

Whatever our opinions of the outcome of the recent Senate hearings, there are some things we can control as a worshipping congregation:

·   We can make a commitment to pray for one another.
·   We can make a commitment to treat each other with respect.
·   We can make a commitment not to provoke one another. 
·   We can make a commitment not to dehumanize one another if we have differing opinions.
·   We can make a commitment to be healers in a broken world.

We are in a time when we need to remind one another that we are the Body of Christ, called together to bring the Gospel to the world. In this spirit, let us move forward with a spirit of healing and grace. May God grant us all peace and serenity.