Collect Day #22, THE 1779 PETITION FOR FREEDOM Lord, you have created every person in your image, making each a unique and beloved child. Forgive the sin of those who came before us, not only denying that enslaved people are human, but ridiculing their demand that they be recognized as equal children of God. As we repent our own blindness to the value of others, guide us to an amendment of life, so that your Kingdom may thrive throughout our…
Collect Day #21, GEORGE BLANCHARD Almighty God, whose command is to treat one another with loving respect and fairness: witness our sorrow for our failing to acknowledge the success and skill of George Blanchard, and for us failing to protect the inheritance of his descendants. By your Spirit, transform our sorrow into faithful resolve to right the wrongs committed in our names, and to gain wisdom by learning from those we have previously ignored; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.…
Collect Day #20, DINAH, CHLOE AND PLATO WALDRON God of all Life, we acknowledge the long-unseen lives of Dinah, Chloe and Plato Waldron, seeing in them the lives of too many who were enslaved in New Hampshire and Maine, across the young nation, and even around our world today. They labored, they suffered, they died. We name them when we can, often we still reap the benefits of their labor, in their deaths, help us to give them honor; in…
Collect Day #19, ONA MARIE JUDGE STAINES God of Surprise, we marvel at the courage and ingenuity of Ona Judge. We are grateful for the community of free blacks and whites who concealed and supported her. We delight at the truth of such a small woman confounding one who is so mighty. Ona gives us hope. Bless her memory and her deeds. May all who face insurmountable odds find courage and inspiration through her story; in Your Name, who is…
Collect Day #18, POMP & CANDACE SPRING God of all beauty and creator of all wealth, we are grateful for the entrepreneurial spirit of the Springs, for the example of industry and enterprise that they were to the citizens of our region, and for the memory of excellence they have left for us. They were courageous people, who knew their worth in your eyes. As we reflect on their lives, help us to learn persistence and ingenuity and respect for…
Collect Day #17, THE THOMAS PAUL FAMILY O God, you made us–all the peoples of the earth–of one blood and one breath. You sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near. Thomas Paul did this for you in Boston, in small towns in NH, in Jamaica, and New York. He went everywhere to encourage others to seek after you and find you. Thomas brought, especially, those of the forgotten…
Collect Day #16, VANCE COIT Bringer of all Life, may your holy and life-giving Spirit move the heart of every person to build paths that tie mountain tops to valleys, and to speak words that dismantle the barriers of culture and ethnicity which divide us. Help us to see in the work of Vance Coit, the establishment of a welcoming community for the weary, the war-torn, the unwelcome–any needing refreshment. Invite us to imagine what a beloved community might look…
Collect Day #15, DINAH CHASE WHIPPLE Loving God, at Whose command we love and support each other, thank you for those who heard Your call to serve and provided help to those in need, without fanfare and with few resources of their own. These Saints of Yours, such as Dinah Chase Whipple, were Stewards of Your Gifts, claiming and using all they were given to the benefit of Your people. We remember and affirm all of those whose labor provided…
Collect Day #14, PRIMUS FOWLE God of all mysteries, we thank you for those who through creativity, ingenuity, and determination, made surprising stands for freedom, dignity and justice. Some, like Brother Fowle, showed courage that upended the expected norm. Then and now, these children of Yours create sparks that lead to justice. May we all know greater justice, greater dignity and our full freedom on this earth; we ask this in the name of Jesus, who sets all people free.…
Collect Day #13, CESAR LONG, DINAH, GEORGE, ALICE & PAUL You grant us this Lenten season, Lord, as a way to provide us with time to contemplate the most notorious of our sins; especially those that separate us from the rest of the body of Christ. Caesar and his wife, Dinah, lived separated from one another during their married lives, as was the custom of enslaved blacks even though they were free. Did they wish for reconciliation and forgiveness, for…
