Presbytery Members Hold Vigil to Heal City in Crisis; Plan Next Steps Click here to view parts of the vigil

We were close to 100 strong, gathering  to bear witness to the love of Jesus Christ that has always been in our beloved city of Baltimore.  Folks can from far and wide across the Presbytery to Trinity Presbyterian Church in West Baltimore.  Led by Pastors from In The Loop Ministry Group, we sang and we prayed and we proclaimed our commitment to this City.

Vice-Moderator James Parks offered this prayer:

Dear God,

You command us in the book of Isaiah to "Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." Today, Lord, we confess that instead of following your word, we have allowed our greed and fear of

Participants singing hymns

strangers to create a world where the few are living very large at the expense of the many. Today, dear Lord, on the streets of Baltimore and on streets across this land, people are crying out for justice, for an end to decades of living in the strait jackets of poverty, injustice and oppression.

Dear Lord, we cry out for justice for Freddy Gray and all people who have been mistreated by the enforcers of our-human-made laws. We recognize, Lord, that the large majority of those who patrol our streets are good men and women who care about justice, but there are some who do not. We pray today for the souls of the Baltimore police, the state's attorney's office, the courts, the governor, the legislature, the mayor and the City Council that they may become the true instruments of justice that you call them to be.

We pray for our souls as well. Help us to become full time, every day outlets for your love and justice. Help us to see your light in all people. We cry out, dear God, for justice for those who felt the only way to have their voices heard is through violence. As your people, Lord, we condemn all violence, but as a compassionate people we understand the anger and desperation that led to the

Rev. Tanya Wade of Grace PC

violence. We pray for the souls of the families who are trapped in Baltimore's poor communities, some of the poorest in the country, where low tax revenue means less money for schools, which means poor education, which leads to few or no good jobs, which leads to alternative and often illegal ways to put food on the table, which leads to prison, which leads to broken homes, which begins the cycle of desperation all over again. So today, dear God, we cry out for justice to roll down like a mighty stream. We cry out Lord, for justice!!! Hear our cry!!!

As part of that commitment, a follow-up meeting is being held at the Presbytery  in the fellowship hall of Faith Presbyterian Church at 3:00 on Tuesday May 5.  It is open to all who wish to continue the conversation.