Prayers Following Disasters

 

 

Pray for those affected by disasters and those who respond in the aftermath.

The below 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.

 

Suggested Hymns

God Is….Great Is Your Faithfulness  (New Century Hymnal 423)
Comfort…..There is a Balm in Gilead (New Century Hymnal 553)
Call to Action…..We Cannot Own the Sunlit Sky (New Century Hymnal 563)

 

The following resources are from the 2017 OGHS Offering materials

1.

Litany

Leader reads the regular font, congregation reads the bold font.

O God of promises, you remind us again and again that you are present with your people. When our hearts are broken,

You are here

When we worry about our country and our future,

You are here

Where anyone is hungry, or thirsty,

You are here

When we feel like strangers, and wonder if anyone will welcome us,

You are here

Where anyone is sick, or in need of care and company,

You are here

When people are in prison,

You are here

When anyone needs clothing,

You are here

You, O God, are here with us when we suffer. Empower us to be with others as they suffer. Help those who feel hopeless, or who are filled with fear. Help us to remember that You are here, God, in the midst of all that we are going through. Help us remember that you are a God of love, and you love us. Amen.

2.

Charge & Benediction

We worship God in sanctuaries, in beautiful, holy spaces. But Christ has told us that if we want to find him in this world, we will seek out the lost, the least of his brothers and sisters—those who are hungry, thirsty, sick, in prison, naked and estranged. May we go forth this day with eyes open to seeing Christ in our world, and may we know God’s love by loving one another. May we love, not just in word and speech, but in truth and action.

“Christ Has No Body,” – Teresa of Avila

Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.