Bishop Central States Synod
This Sunday four Central States Synod staffers will preach in various churches in the St. Louis area, and I’m asking for your prayers, that we might find the words to give life to the Word in this volatile place. We have one church in Ferguson itself, Zion, where the pastor, Rick Brenton, reports the mood is tense and fearful.
St. Louis’ racial divisions and strife are deeply rooted and complex. Related issues – the militarization of the police, the racial makeup of the police department itself (nearly all white in a predominantly African American community), a struggling economy – intensify the conflict. And with Palestinians in Gaza tweeting demonstrators in Ferguson about how to protect themselves against tear gas, we see how flat the world has become.
So your prayers, please, for wisdom, and for openness to the Spirit acting through the Canaanite woman, whatever disguise she might be wearing this weekend.
Peace,
Roger Gustafson
