Come, Holy Spirit, welcome in this place!
Lead us in worship, lead us in love and truth,
Lead us in holiness and grace.
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Come Holy Spirit, words and music by Fr. Rickey Brown
These are the lyrics to a song a friend of mine wrote. The song has jumped into my mind as my husband and I have stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the abortion clinic, and I find myself singing it as we walk or stand vigil from 6:00 to 8:00 every morning.
That's what we do when we go and pray at an abortion facility. We welcome the Holy Spirit into a place of darkness that He might shine the light of God into that darkness. We invite Him to lead us in our worship.
How often I am clueless as how to worship. I get lost in my own thoughts: "It's chilly this morning, I'm glad I put on that extra sweater." "I wonder if I'll talk to anyone today?" "Darn it, I forgot to bring my PDHC cards." "That's a beautiful sports car that pulled into the parking lot. Oh, it's Dr. Samuel. Hmm, beautiful car purchased with blood money." But the Holy Spirit draws my thoughts back to God and I begin again to worship and to intercede for the women and men who come and go from the abortion facility.
It's the Holy Sprit who conveys God's love, truth, holiness and grace to the people who see us there. All we need to do is ask His help to pray and worship.
It's a very simple thing we do. You don't have to be some kind of super-spiritual, super-cool, superman or superwoman to stand on a sidewalk and pray. You don't have to have all the answers to life's questions.
You just have to be willing to present. And what a wonderful present we are when we are present for the broken and hurting women and men who come and go from 5888 Cleveland Ave.
I'll see you on the sidewalk,