Weekly Newsletter Feb. 17

February 17, 2023

God's Trombones at the Super Bowl
Honoring Our Black History

Moments before kick-off, singer Sheryl Lee Ralph sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing!" also known in America as the Black National Anthem. James Weldon Johnson wrote the lyrics and his brother J. Rosamond Johnson wrote the music. J. W. Johnson also wrote a small book of poetry titled, God's Trombones. These two works tell two stories: the struggle of Black Americans and the goodness of God. Praise God that He is proclaimed across our land:

Lift every voice and sing,
’Til earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on ’til victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed.
We have come, over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
’Til now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet, stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.

Heavenly Father of all peoples, look upon us all with mercy. Forgive our failures in every generation to live holy lives, as you are a Holy God. Let your strength and compassion cause us to trust in you with our whole mind, body, and soul. Flood our land with your peace and salvation through our faith in Jesus, who is our only savior. Come Holy Spirit. Amen.

Keep scrolling to see upcoming events to love, serve, and engage our neighbors with good news!

Roger Frederick
Lead Pastor