A Prayer for our Church

Give us, O Lord
A church that will be more courageous than courteous;
A church that will not merely comfort the afflicted
    but afflict the comfortable;
A church that will not only love the world
    but will also judge the world;
A church that will not only pursue peace
    but will also demand justice;
A church that will not remain silent
    where people are calling for a voice;
A church that will not pass by on the other side
    when wounded humanity is waiting to be healed;
A church that not only calls us to worship
    but also sends us out to witness; and
A church that will follow Christ even when the way
    points to a cross;
To this end we offer ourselves
    in the name of him who loved us
    and gave himself for us. Amen

      The Rev. Robert Lee Longid
          EDNP Convention (Phillipines), 1994.