Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Prayer in the midst of Hurricane Harvey

God of our life, whose presence sustains us in every circumstance,

in storm and distress, we welcome the restoring power of your love and compassion. We open our hearts in sorrow, gratitude, and hope: that those who have been spared nature’s fury as well as those whose lives are changed forever by ravages of wind and water may find solace, sustenance, and strength in the days of recovery and rebuilding that come.

We are thankful for the generous grace of days of preparation; for the wise counsel of experts and the generous collaboration of so many communities, that in the face of the storm kept many out of harm’s way, and lessened the effects of wind and water on others. We pray for those yet in harm’s way; who wait in neighborhoods while the waters rise, who pray for the rains to cease. We pray for those huddled at home or among strangers while wind ravages, for those who have fled from home and wait and wonder. We ask for sustaining courage, for the kindness of strangers, for hope that does not disappoint.

We open ourselves to listen with compassion to the stories of those whom Hurricane Harvey has not spared: communities deeply affected, whose livelihood, homes and stability have been destroyed. We pray in grief, honoring the lives, shattered and the livelihoods, homes and businesses for whom recovery seems an insurmountable mountain. We lift our voices in sorrow and compassion for families who have lost loved ones, homes, or livelihood.

We ask for sustaining courage for those who are suffering; wisdom and diligence among agencies and individuals assessing damage and directing relief efforts; and for generosity to flow as powerfully as rivers and streams, as we, your people, respond to the deep human needs beginning to emerge in the wake of the storm.

In these days of relief, assessment and response, open our eyes, our hearts, and our hands to the needs of your children and the movements of your Spirit, who flows in us like the river whose streams makes glad the city of God, and the hearts of all who dwell in it, and in You.

In the name of Christ the Healer we pray, amen.


___________________
written by the Rev. Dr. Laurie Ann Kraus, director of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance




PDA has been in touch with the presbyteries in the path of Hurricane Harvey to offer assistance. We are standing by with resources and National Response Team members ready to deploy upon invitation and when it is safe to do so.

For those who wish to support PDA's emergency response and recovery efforts, gifts can be designated to DR000169-Harvey. Information on how to give can be found here.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Who then is this?

Mark 4:35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Who then is this?
Lord,
who are you?
One who can sleep through the storms...
One who cares deeply...
One who commands the wind and the waves...
One who creates peace...
One who causes great awe and wonder...

Yes,
Lord Jesus,
you are all that and more.
You shatter the box
I have created for you.
You act beyond my imagining.
You show me
how powerful,
how transforming,
how saving,
compassion for others is.

By your Spirit,
embolden me
to embody your compassion for others
and in so doing
bring about peace and calm
in the lives of others
for your Glory!
Amen.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Storms

Mark 4:35-37
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.
Lord,
the storms come.
Sometimes I can see them
building off in the distance --
great storm clouds reaching into the sky
with their menacing darkness.
In relationships,
sometimes I can predict
what will be said,
how the other will react,
& the hurt feelings all around.
The storms of life build,
and I can see it coming.

Sometimes the floodgates surprise me --
lightening flashes,
waters rise & overwhelm.
In life too,
the words said in anger.
The careless act.
The selfishness.
In a flash flooding and overwhelming torrent,
the storms of life come.

Lord,
thank you for
being with us
in the storms.
Amen.