Christian Reflection and Prayer

Just as gold can’t become gold without going
through a difficult process, so, too, do our
challenges refine us and bring out the value
within us. Don’t be fooled by those who walk
around looking like gold. Many people look
good on the outside, but that doesn’t
necessarily mean that they are good. Most of
the best people in the world have gone through
hard times. They’ve gone through a refinement
process.

So embrace the challenges that come your way.
God is bringing out the gold in you. No matter
how dark and hard life may seem for you today,
God can refine you and make you shine.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

Verse

Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and
hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord
shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together.
Isaiah 40:4-5

Voice

True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is
the presence of justice.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Prayer

God, today we honor your prophet, Martin Luther King Jr.
May his legacy continue to inspire us not simply to the
absence of tension, but to the presence of justice. May
ground that is still uneven continue to be made level.
Amen.

Verse

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and
be glad in it.   Psalm 118:24

Voice

"There's so much to be grateful for, words are poor things."
Marilynne Robinson

Prayer

Loving God, your goodness is all around us. But sometimes
it seems overshadowed by pain, death, and suffering.
Assure us in times of doubt that you are the God of
resurrection. May our lips sing you praise, and may our
lives be a living sacrifice to you. Amen.

Common Prayer