Pray for those affected by disasters and those who respond in the aftermath.
These prayers were written by Karl Jones, a UCC Conference Disaster Coordinator.
1.
Something inside, so strong, pulls us, calls us:
Holy God, may we know you presence in the midst of tragedy.
Something terrible, almost unthinkable, has happened,
Shattering our sense of safety and security.
Something inside, so strong, steadies us, calms us;
A quiet confidence that we will make it through.
Even in the midst of crisis there is a growing faith that we are not alone;
A sense of God’s present love and action.
Something inside, so strong, calls us to this place:
Something inside, so strong, causes us to sing and pray –
O God, come to my aid.
Hear my voice when I cry to you. Amen.
2.
God, our hope and trust are in you. We have nowhere else to turn. Be for us an anchor in the chaos. Hold out your hand so that we can find you and know which way to turn next.
O God, how could this tragedy happen? Grant us the faith to find you in the midst of it, even among our questions and disbelief. We bring to you our prayers and concerns.
We pray through Jesus Christ. Amen.
3.
Show forth, O God, in power and peace what you have done and are doing in our world. Before some of us can sing a song of gladness again, O God, we have to get over something. Great earthquakes have occurred, causing us to question your story. We have a fear of your story, an estrangement from it. Some of us are angry. Some of us are hurt. And no one seems to
notice. They keep telling us everything is going to be okay, but still we’re hurt.
Help us tell the truth without making people even more afraid. All some of us want is the day before we the quake. And we know we can’t have any day back; we know that some
days are just gone. And then comes Epiphany, the time when God is revealed. Reveal yourself, O God, to each one of us here. Bring us to your glory and help us move on to new days. In the name of Jesus, who is never far away. Amen.
Sister Alma Rose Has the Last Word 