Prayers of the People Following Disaster
O God, Who gave order to the chaos at creation,
Give the quiet disposition for which our hearts yearn.
Marshal the clarity of purpose required to move forward.
Help us to recover the bedrock of faith
That stills the storm,
that heals the heartsick,
That perseveres with power.
O God, who healed the sick and raised the dead,
We give thanks for arms and hands reaching out
From north and south and east and west,
Revealing your heart beating in the rubble:
Consoling the inconsolable
searching for the lost; working for justice;
Washing with the cloth of compassion.
O God who said, "For freedom Christ has set you free,
Therefore do not submit to the yoke of slavery,"
We walk the tightrope between our need for security and our love of freedom.
Produce in us, by your power at work in us,
Courage that will not be held captive to fear
love for the good that will not be diminished by hate
Character that stands when all else crumbles.
O God who calls us to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly in your presence,
Show us the pathway that will lead us out of the MUD, TO THE DRY GROUND OF YOUR SECURITY,
Into the light of your way, and the pathway of peace.
Give us the strength to resist
Unfettered anger that destroys the innocent
consuming hate THAT SEEKS TO BLAME,
Hopeless indifference that cannot stand up to pressure.
O Christ who said, "My peace I give you, not as the world gives,"
Who rose again from the dead, saying, "Do not fear,"
Give us an Easter faith sufficient for the day.
Let us mourn not as those who have no hope, but as those who are READY TO STRENGTHEN THE FAINT HEARTED
To help the suffering
to honor all people, created in your image
To believe we can overcome evil with good.
O God, we join christians around the world this day, praying through Jesus Christ our Lord the prayer you taught us to pray...
(The Lord's Prayer)
This prayer was adapted for use folllowing Hurricane Katrina from a prayer written by the Rev. Dr. Clinton McCoy, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Northern New York, and sent to ministers and other leaders of the Presbytery of Northern New York, on September 14, 2001, the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Permission is given for its use to anyone who gives credit to the author.