ICYMI: In Good Company: Bayard Rustin
If you missed Sunday's service or could use a refresher, here's a quick recap featuring a song from Sunday on Spotify, the sermon's main point, a key quotation, a prayer, and our weekly Next Step Practice. Scroll to the bottom for the full sermon recording.
📖 Focal Scripture
🎯 Reflection
When messengers sent by John the Baptist questioned Jesus, Jesus tells them to return and report what they had seen and heard. Similarly, despite his being silenced, arrested, beaten, and humiliated, what we see and hear of God’s work through Bayard Rustin gives us the courage to continue advocating for justice, peace, and freedom.
🗣️ Key Quotation
“I have learned a very significant message from the Jewish prophets. They taught that God does not require us to achieve any of the good tasks that humanity must pursue. What the gods require of us is that we not stop trying." — Bayard Rustin
🙏 Prayer
Holy God, just as Bayard Rustin’s life was marked by silence and song, grant me the stillness to listen for your voice such that when it’s time to sing for justice, for joy, and for jubilee — I’d be ready to join with all the saints in singing your song of freedom. Amen.
➡️ Next Step
This week, take a moment each day to write down three things for which you are grateful. Practicing gratitude helps us appreciate God’s presence, noting what we’ve seen and heard, even in challenging times. It becomes an act of hope, affirming God’s goodness toward the reconciliation of all things.
