Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
“If it bleeds, it leads” was William Randolf Hearst’s mantra in the late 1890’s and we’ve seen it ever since. We are drawn to the frailty of life and the violence of man. Our prayers here have lamented untimely deaths of the innocent. These prayers cover a city under attack. Even in those dark times, we are called to cry out to our Lord and to be a light that refuses to be covered.
Tonight, may we lift up the work of High Ground News. Check out their work. There mission is stated as such:
“We are sidewalk level, solutions-oriented journalism for Memphis. We are focused on the visionary people, businesses and organizations making changes in our city.
Our signature On The Ground series embeds High Ground journalists in Memphis neighborhoods. OTG neighborhoods are typically under-represented in traditional media. We strive to elevate resident voices and work alongside them whenever possible. We work to help all Memphians better understand the city’s diverse communities and their unique histories, assets and challenges.
Our wider coverage includes entrepreneurs and local business, education, healthcare, housing, livable communities, local and state policy, transportation and more.”
Father God, we pray for the righteous and the caring. Too often our conversations are focused on the evil and death around us, seemingly in every headline. But Lord, You are here and there is good in all of your children in all of Your creation. Memphis is part of this work and is a city worth fighting for. We need Your presence now. Lord, we pray for the work and attitude of High Ground News to spread throughout our community. We pray the reporters give voice to those working for good in our community, that they give encouragement and hope to those striving for a better Memphis. We pray for Emily Trenholm’s leadership in her role as Publisher and MJ Galbraith’s role of Interim Managing Editor. Help the current writers , Jim Coleman, Tamara Cunningham, Ashley Davis, Erinn Figg, Baris Gursakal, Jeff Hulett, Erica Horton, Brandi Hunter, Chris Jones, Brandis Leverette, Alexandria Moore, Deborah Robertson, Ramona Springfield, Andrea Valenzuela, and Ashlei Williams identify the stories You want told and bless them in their work. Lord, bless the photography and video gifts of Cat Evans, Ziggy Mack, Malik Martin, and Forever Ready Productions bring those stories to our neighbors.
Lord, provide them and this organization with the support they need to fulfill their mission while shining a light on the good around us. In Christ’s name, Amen.