To the artist He is the one altogether lovely, and to the educator He is the master teacher. To the philosopher He is the wisdom of God, and to the lonely He is a brother; to the sorrowful, a comforter to the bereaved, the resurrection and the life. And to the sinner he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin from the world. - John Gerstner
The toll of the flooding in southern Brazil two weeks ago is becoming apparent. After more rain in 48 hours than is usual for 4 months,155 people were dead, tens of thousands displaced and in shelters, hundreds of thousands of people evacuated. The water has nowhere to recede to so it is pooling and stagnating and impeding any recovery of infrastructure, livelihoods.
Lord the flood waters came but they haven’t left. How can recovery and restoration happen? Move the waters God. Bring wisdom to leaders, comfort to the displaced and be present to those who mourn. In this crisis, may your kingdom of peace be known.
Over 350 people have died in flash floods in Afghanistan in the last weeks. Livelihoods, fields, roads, homes have been destroyed. Aid is not able to reach the most affected. Afghanistan is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate breakdown according to the UN.
We join together to pray:
God, where water usually brings life, it has brought devastation. We pray for aid to be delivered to the people who need it. We pray for the families and children of those who have died. Where despair begins to creep in, we pray for a provision of hope. Continue to make your ways of compassion and care known to this land.
Lytton, BC, the town that was destroyed by a climate heat dome induced June 30, 2021, has barely begun recovery. Lytton’s recovery has been slow, with rebuilding just getting underway nearly three years later. Two weeks ago, B.C.’s auditor general announced a review of the province’s response following the disaster.
Aid has been unequally allocated for those inside and outside the town borders even though the whole area was equally affected. We pray for those struggling to recover years after the world’s attention has moved.
God, this fire devastated a community and its effects are still felt. Your care does not stop for these people and this land even if our attention falters. We pray for clear systems of recovery and for policies that help and not hinder the people. We pray for this community to keep working together to rebuild. Redeem the devastation with your peace.
“How do you pastorally tell the truth of the Good Friday story without retraumatizing and injuring those in your midst?” The question stumped the panel. Between the six of us, we figured out that we had a septugenarian’s worth of years of experience in leading worship ministry in the church. Yet this question led all of us into a moment of silence and deep reflection. Continue Reading Here »
When the pain of the world feels heavy and overwhelming, we are comforted by Psalm 102:1-2: “Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.” Find a prayer of comfort written in conjunction with this scripture passage here. Read More »
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