The Hope of Desmond Tutu

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Mar 15, 2022

Yousuf Karsh - Bishop Desmond Tutu (1984)

INVOCATION

Inspired by Saint Augustine

God whose faith rouses us,
whose hope lifts us up,
and whose love joins us—
God, through whom we overcome the reckless fear in our hearts,
We seek you.

CLOUD OF WITNESS

from God Is Not a Christian: And Other Provocations by Desmond Tutu

In the Bible, we are told to speak to spiritual things. St. John says, “The light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness did not overwhelm the light” (John 1:5). We come to sustain our hope that this is so. Humanly speaking, as we look around at our situation, that situation appears hopeless. But we must assert, and assert confidently, that this is God’s world, that God is in charge.

WORD OF HOPE

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
—Desmond Tutu

CANTICLE

Adapted from A Divine Invocation by Saint Augustine

God, above whom is nothing,
beyond whom is nothing,
without whom is nothing.

God, under whom is the whole,
in whom is the whole,
with whom is the whole—
who made humankind the reflection of your image and likeness…

Hear me, hear me, graciously hear me,
my God, my Lord,
my Ruler, my Creator,
my Cause, my Hope,
my Wealth, my Honor,
my House, my Country,
my Health, my Light—
my Life…

You alone do I love,
You alone I follow,
You alone I seek,
You alone am I prepared to serve—

Take my hand and lead me
Open and tune my ears so I may hear your voice.
Open and focus my eyes that I may see your reflection in all things.
Drive all deception from me that I may know your truth.

I lose my way, O God of Light,
illuminate my path with your love
that I may always find my way back to you.

BENEDICTION

May our amens seal our blessings and may our blessings invoke our amens.