The Rev. Katie Campbell-Morrison preaches during ecumenical communion Friday in the Hall of Philosophy.
MARY LEE TALBOT
Staff Writer
The Rev. Katie Campbell-Morrison preached at the 9:15 a.m. ecumenical communion service in the Hall of Philosophy. The Rev. David Bush read the scripture, Ephesians 3:14–21. Clara Fuehler led the prayers.
“I grew up in this community, and it influenced my style of preaching,” Campbell-Morrison said. “The community taught me to ground my sermons in intellectual curiosity, and my grandmother (The Rev. Joan Brown Campbell) taught me to ground them in Scripture and social justice.”
She told the congregation that the founders of the United States said we are endowed with “inalienable rights,” but we have yet to see that promise. From the very beginning of the nation, there has been an albatross of violence and suppression that divided up from nature and glorified endemic violence. “We feel that impact today, and we have to stand up for humanity,” she said.
This is a time, she said, when our ecosystem is in collapse, immigrant children hide in attics wondering about their family and the United States puts the weight of its power on Cuba to strangle it. “The prayerful path forward feels hidden, and we want to cry that everything is awful.”
The book of Ephesians talks about the power rooted in the divine and enforced through Christ. Campbell-Morrison said, “Power is not limited to those who use it for evil — it is grounded in Christ. Power is intimate, tender, like the power of righteous anger. Paul’s message was about the enormity of God.”
She continued, “We are in a dangerous moment when lies and hate weigh on us. Christ showed us divine love that helps us find bravery. Christ’s love passes all understanding, so don’t surrender to apathy or wait for someone else to take action. Walk with God and prayerfully remember how to connect with the divine. There is no change without action. Go forth to do the work to assure our collective future.”
The Rev. Rachel Stuart, pastor of Hurlbut Memorial Community United Methodist Church, presided. The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, senior pastor of Chautauqua, presided at the communion table. Flutist Barbara Hois and pianist Willie LaFavor played movements from “Suite Antique” by John Rutter for the prelude. The Motet Choir, under the direction of Sonya Subbayya Sutton, sang “O Lord, Thou Has Formed My Every Part,” a chorale by Johann Sebastian Bach, during communion. LaFavor and Hois played incidental music on the piano during communion. The congregation sang a Peruvian “Gloria,” Taizé chants “Ubi Caritas” and “Nada te turbe.” Mary Smaglio accompanied the congregation in “Ubi Caritas” on the accordion. She played a melody of hymns on the accordion for the postlude. Support for this week’s chaplaincy and preaching was provided by The J. Everett Hall Memorial Chaplaincy and The Randell-Hall Memorial Chaplaincy.
