francesco, first church and duke ellington...

Like Pope Francis, each week during worship in Epiphany includes an inter-faith invitation to prayer. Using the wisdom and poetic insight of John Philip Newell in his book, Praying with the Earth, our call to prayer, candlelight, silence and contemplative jazz goesomething like this:

The great traditions of faith are clear:  we are One in the Spirit and One in the Lord. We may use different words – the Hebrew Scriptures say: “May God grant you your heart’s desire.” (Psalm 20); the way of Jesus says: “Many will come from east and west and eat together in the garden of the Lord.” (Matthew 8); and followers of Islam note: “Whichever say you turn, there is the face of God.” (Quran – The Cow 2: 115) – but we pray to the same God. So let us open our hearts to the source of all Love and Mercy in prayer…

What follows is a quiet time lasting 3-5 minutes. At the start of Epiphany, Francesco debuted his first vlogging effort, and promises to add a new update each month. Check it out...

During our inter-faith time for quiet solidarity, we'll be playing Duke Ellington's stunning jazz composition: Reflections in D. We offer it both to lure folk into a quiet time with God in the middle of a busy life as well as a chance to enjoy the simple joy of resting in creation's beauty for a few moments. You are always welcome...