Harwich Soundings – October 3, 2017
Dear friends,
We live in a time when the unfathomable takes place…again and again. Now in Las Vegas…senseless violence and death. Who are we at war with? Ourselves? Who is the enemy who compels a man to take sixteen high powered weapons to his motel room, with another eighteen in his home? Something is loose in our society, in our national psyche, that aims for destruction.
The following from our Bishop and Conference leaders:
Oct. 2, 2017 – “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” – Isaiah 40:1
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We greet you all in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Like many of you, we awoke this morning to hear the horrible and sickening news of the mass shooting in Las Vegas where at least 50 people have been killed and more than 200 were injured.
As Conference leaders gathered for our regular Cabinet meeting this morning, we came together to write the prayer below.
We are encouraging all of you to say this prayer at some time during the day – silently or aloud. May the abundant love and strength of God reach all those affected by this senseless violence and bring solace.
All of us will be spending this evening in fasting prayer. The money we would have spent on our meals will be given to a ministry of the church that is on our hearts today. We humbly ask you to join us as you are able.
Oh, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
Our hearts cry out for those killed and injured in Las Vegas; for family and friends, for doctors and nurses, for emergency responders, for the family of the shooter, for those who escaped but are traumatized. Our hearts cry out.
So help us, God of grace. Give us the courage to stand up and do something about the chaos that reigns in this world. Help us be the peace people crave in the midst of this evil we call division and war. Help us be the love people need to feel and hear when hate abounds.
Take away the roots of violence in each of us and in this land. Let our prayers for non-violence and healing be turned to actions that confront all means of violence with the means of your peace and justice.
Give us comfort that rises up out of your infinite grace with strength to breathe deep, reach wide, and transform broken human shards into redemptive community.
Show us again how to rise, how to forgive, how to heal, how to be set free.
We pray to you, the God of all comfort, to grant overwhelming peace. Shalom. Shalom. Shalom.
In Christ’s love,
Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar & Rene Wilbur, Conference Lay Leader
For everything there is a time to grieve and a time to say “No”. Guide us, Lord, in how to say “No”….to the insane proliferation of guns in our society…to the insane proliferation of hatred and bigotry in our society. Hold all the victims in your mercy.
Amen, Ed