- Ecclesiastes 5: 1-3 NIV
After political upheaval and with a brand new government, Bangladesh is in crisis with 300,000 people displaced after massive floods. In this time of trouble upon trouble, we pray:
Lord of wind and rain, we ask for relief for the many Bangladeshi’s who are homeless after the floods. Be quick to provide shelter, food, community and safety for them. Open ears and hearts by your Spirit to the wisdom needed to recover life even after all this.
Civil War in Sudan has made the heavy rain more lethal. When a dam crumbled after days of heavy rain that had come much earlier than usual, it wiped away homes, electricity and water pipes, burying the working airport and roads needed for aid delivery. It also killed dozens in its wake. Sudan’s dams, roads and bridges were already in disrepair before the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023.
Both sides have since funnelled the bulk of their resources into the conflict, leaving infrastructure badly neglected. In this time of trouble upon trouble we pray:
God, for the civilians of Sudan this is beyond unfair. We lament that the infrastructure was neglected due to the cost of war and power. We pray for recovery to be quick and for communities to work together, finding ways to work as one for the health and well-being of all.
As Israel once again orders evacuations to displaced Gazans, UN health officials are sounding the alarm about polio spreading freely due to the hindrance these evacuations give to vaccine rollout. Polio, a virus that affects the nervous and can cause paralysis and death, is spreading quickly in Gaza due to the destruction of all sanitation infrastructure and targets children, making the lives of children in Gaza even more precarious. In this time of trouble upon trouble we pray:
God who heals, that this disease is spreading is an injustice borne by the least among the people. We are angry that these children are in this situation. May the powers and principalities at work in this region be quelled and moved to compassion for the children; may the vaccines that will save from the most harm find all who need them.
Indigenous communities, farmers, animals have begun to feel the effects as floodwaters erase the way of life that has existed along the Peace River in BC. The project that took a decade and 16 billion dollars to complete has already traumatically impacted the ecosystems and livelihoods. While we know all the good reasons given for these projects to happen we grieve the price they incur.
For the initial accounting of the cost and the resource for information on this prayer, see the full environmental impact report from May 2014.
For more information on how this is impacting the region today, see The Narwhal’s reporting here.
We lament and grieve this loss with the fish. With the bull trout, Arctic grayling, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, northern pike, yellow perch, and spottail shiner, burbot, goldeye, walleye, largescale sucker, and longnose sucker we lament the loss of spawning grounds, loss of habitat, loss of movement in this watershed.
“The Panel concludes that the construction of the Project would result in significant adverse cumulative effects on fish.”
Lord have mercy.
We lament and grieve this loss with the land.
With the grasslands, the old-growth forest, the wetlands, bogs, marshes, swamps, the tufa seeps and the Marl fen, we weep that their design, intricate and intentional, taking millenia to develop, will be lost to us.
“The Panel concludes that the Project would have a significant adverse effect on wetlands, in particular, valley bottom wetlands.”
Lord have mercy.
We lament and grieve this loss with the birds. With the songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, marsh birds, woodpeckers, swallows and Common Nighthawk we grieve.
With the birds that migrate through the area, the yellow rail,Canada warbler, Cape May warbler bay-breasted warbler, and Nelson’s sparrow, we grieve.
“The Panel concludes that the Project would likely cause significant adverse effects to migratory birds relying on valley bottom habitat during their life cycle and these losses would be permanent and cannot be mitigated.”
Lord Have Mercy
Loss upon loss has become the new normal in our need to provide for our energy expansive ways. Lord, it is hard to know how to move forward even as we trust you. So we take today to grieve and say this hurts our spirits.
Lord, who is mercy, have mercy.
Lord who is love, teach us your ways.
In early August, several worship directors joined the roundtable for a conversation about "back to school" worship practices for fall. There were lots of good ideas shared about blessing of the backpacks, intergenerational relationship building through prayer and connection, engaging all professions (not just students), and a whole lot more! Listen Here »
Hearts Exchanged is all about going beyond the headlines into deep work that wrestles with how churches can become places of belonging and embrace God’s call to reconciliation with Indigenous neighbors in Canada. Participants can sign up with their church or in a mixed cohort of Christians in their region. Typically cohorts start in the fall, so now is a great time to express interest. More Information »
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