Living Psalms                                                                                                                 Psalm 104:24-35b

O Lord, a song of praise is not on our lips now
Not after the massive shooting at Tops Market in our community                          Not after the killing of ten humans and the wounding of three
Not after the killing of Black elders, Black young dads, Black young women.

Our city is full of grief and pain,
Yonder is the joy of a community.                                                                                 Creeping heads of hate and domination are innumerable 
near and far --
there goes another community’s peace.

Yet, we continue to look to you, O Lord.
We wait for you to open your hand to fill us with good things.
Do not hide your face from those that bear your image, 
your Black children
Do not let any seeded hate take their breath away from them.  
                             
Send your Spirit and create again, O Lord.
Remind us what joy is, 
so that we can re-create joy 
and rejoice with one another again.
Renew the face of the city of Good Neighbors.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever in Buffalo,
May the trees and water of the Queen city rejoice again,
May Black Elders and Black young daddies rejoice again,
May Black humans sing of joy and live long lives again.

May Black, White, Brown, Indigenous people,
May all people come together 
and learn how to live together as one humanity
May all people learn how to love, how listen to one other,
May we learn how to heal together, 
and offer it as a meditation pleasing to you.

Let sin be consumed from the earth.
Let wickedness be no more.

Then, I will rejoice in the Lord and say,
Bless the Lord O my soul! Praise the Lord.

AMEN.

Written a week after Top Market shooting on 5/14/2022, by Rev. Nancy Rosas, Pastor at Pilgrim-St. Luke’s UCC in Buffalo, NY