As we continue to celebrate our history of emancipation from the bondage of slavery, injustice and death, we as a free people understand that if it were not for God, our ancestors would not have endured the atrocity of slavery.

If it were not for God, later generations would not have survived the Jim Crow era -- the lynchings, the convict-lease system, which was more devastating than slavery, and the overall racial hatred that haunts us even to this day.

It is because of this same God that we, the children of the 21st century, have the determination to survive in spite of the invisible chains of slavery and the visible chains of hatred. But thanks be to God, our Father, who empowered our ancestors with a resilient Spirit, a deep capacity to forgive and a resolve for a better life for future generations.

So what do we do with this legacy? Our ancestors died for us to be free, and yet we still have a long way to go. In the 20th century we experienced integration in the schools, the workplace and in our communities, and yet we still have a long way to go. In the 21st century many of us witnessed in awe as the United States elected its first African American president, and yet we still have a long way to go.

I am sure our ancestors are looking down with tears of joy and pain, for they see their sacrifice was well worth it, and yet they know we still have a long way to go.

I invite you, the reader, to reflect on those sacrifices. I invite you to taste and see how the God of our ancestors heard the cries of a praying, persistent and persevered people. I invite you to taste and see that God is still listening and answering our prayers.

Rev. Glencie Rhedrick

***

Oh, Mighty God,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth. We meet You today in our prayer chambers, thanking You for the walking and the sometimes carrying of our ancestors through the ruthless pathways of slavery and resting them on the shores of freedom.

We thank You, Lord, because You placed within their hearts a Spirit of endurance to fight for the freedoms of the generations to come. We thank You, Lord, because You built within their souls a Spirit of humility and a forgiving love for their oppressors. We thank You, Lord, because You fortified their minds with a can-do Spirit.

We thank You, Lord, for their faith in a merciful and loving God. We thank You, Lord, for their trust in such a gracious God that provided safety and shelter during their escapes through the underground railroads and other freedom trails. We thank You, Lord, for the sacrifices they made in order that we may worship and praise Your name without fear of retribution. We thank You, Lord, for watching over us just as You watched over our ancestors. We thank You, Lord, for pouring into us that same Spirit that You poured into them.

Now, Lord, continue to empower us with courage to sacrifice and do more in order to make life better for future generations. Lord, help us to be obedient to Your will and to stand up when we see racial injustices, hunger, lack of health care, poor education and poverty in our communities near and far.

It is in the matchless name of Your Son, the Freeing and Sovereign Lord, Jesus the Christ, that we pray this prayer! Amen, Amen and Amen.

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