Let Us Pray

We struggle for words to express the thoughts of our hearts in the aftermath of the tornadoes.   Everyone suffers. Even if lives and property were spared, we all know of family members or friends who were not as fortunate.  Many search for loved ones who are still missing. The task of cleaning up and rebuilding in a time of deep grief is overwhelming. 


The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual after-effects of the tornadoes will be long-lasting. 


Please don't forget us. We need your prayers.


The following Litany of Supplication in Time of Trouble from Bishop Parsley of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, although written for those us who are living through this horrendous experience, can easily be adapted by others who wish to pray.  If you are so inclined, please pass this along to others who are willing to offer support in this way.  


Your comments and well-wishes posted on "From The Big Red Chair" blogspot will be passed along to the people of this area who need to know we have not been forgotten.  Thank you. 


Bunny Cox - Blessed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama


A LITANY OF SUPPLICATION IN TIMES OF TROUBLE 

Gracious God, arise, help us;
And deliver us for your Names sake.

We have heard with our ears and our ancestors declared unto us the noble works of loving kindness and healing that you have done in their days, and in the old time before them.
Gracious God, arise, help us;
And deliver us for your Names sake.

With breaking hearts and deep sadness at the tragedy of the tornadoes in our state, (and especially in this community of _______________,) we pray for all who have died and all injured, for those who have lost their homes, and for those who are alone and afraid.
Gracious God, arise, help us;
And deliver us for your Names sake.

Guide and strengthen all who are providing food and water, shelter and care for those in need;  grant your wisdom to those coordinating relief efforts and generosity to those who  offer gifts and funds for support and assistance.
Gracious God, arise, help us;
And deliver us for your Names sake.

Embrace all those who have lost loved ones, friends, and neighbors with your comfort and compassion; bind us all in deeper community and as we join hands to support one another and rebuild our life together.
Gracious God, arise, help us;
And deliver us for your Names sake.

Renew our trust in your presence in the midst of loss, and in your power of hope and healing in our midst. Grant that no storms and clouds of this world may ever hide from us the light of your love,  which is eternal and heals our hearts, world without end.
Gracious God, arise, help us;
And deliver us for your Names sake.

Let us pray:
Loving Father of all, we humbly pray you to look graciously upon our hurts and heartaches, and especially upon those in the greatest need in this time of trouble. Grant that we may put our whole trust and confidence in your mercy; bind us together in mutual love and service, and make us instruments of your healing and peace; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Episcopal Diocese of Alabama
The Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley, Jr.
April 29, 2011

The Greatest Gift

It is just a little note from my eldest daughter, a forgotten poem handwritten on folded paper like the homemade cards she made as a child. It accompanied a small butterfly brooch that rested under a  blanket of cotton in a humble white box. It was her Christmas gift to me.  The ink is now faded, dissolved by falling tears, the paper worn by my hand. In spite of its tattered appearance, it remains my most priceless possession.

Long after the brooch was removed and the box discarded, the note remained cocooned in the back corner of a dark and rarely opened drawer.  I rediscovered Tara's forgotten words after she died when I yielded to an overwhelming and uncharacteristic urge to explore the drawer's contents.  It was as if an unseen force guided me to its hiding place.

With a soul wounded by the cataclysmic change of trying to live in a world without her, I read her forgotten message with new eyes and listened to her voice with the ear of my heart. I sometimes wonder if she knows her note sustains me.

Tara speaks of change, hope, perseverance, and most of all Easter joy. She shares her faith and reminds us of what is possible with God. As we once again celebrate the resurrection season, I give you the gift of her words in gratitude for her wisdom, in thanksgiving for God's healing grace, and with much love – her’s and mine:

THE BUTTERFLY

How is it that such a

delicate thing can be such

a powerful symbol?

The butterfly reminds us

that to reach our utmost,

patience and willingness

to change are required,

and in even the lowliest

of caterpillars great

beauty lies.

Most of all it is a reminder

that through the cocoon

of the tomb Jesus took

flight and gave us life

everlasting. So remember

that change often comes

at great risk, with great

rewards, and it is through

the life and death of Jesus

that we take wing.

I love you,   Tara

Reflections:

Psalm 33:22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.


Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks~Jesus Christ (Matthew 12:34b)


Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so he is. ~Publilius Syrus


-If I were to give the gift of my words to sustain those whom I love, what would they be?

Practice: 

-Write a letter to each person you love. Speak your heart. Put your letter in a safe place as a special gift to be discovered.

-Never let a day pass without telling someone you love them.

The Man and the Moon

In a few days the moon will be full. It will be the first full moon after the Spring equinox when the day and the night are of equal length. That means Easter will soon follow.  Humans have long looked to the earth, the heavenly bodies, their movement through space and time, their rising and their setting, to guide our days and actions.  Even so, we sometimes forget how inseparably we are connected. 

I first knew I was a child of the earth when . . .

. . . I rode on my father’s back one summer night.  The air was warm, alive in some way.  He was young.  I was too.  I hadn’t started kindergarten.  Was I four, maybe five? We were walking home after a softball game in which he had played while I sat on the bench and watched.  Was he 25-26?  It was just the two of us. Mother must have been home with the baby. My father kept a silent, steady pace through the dark, back streets of the neighborhood.    

I remember the sensation of the muscles in his shoulders, his back, and the strength of his arms reaching behind to hold me securely.  I looked up at the full moon.

            “Daddy, the moon is following us.” 

He looked at the moon with me.  There was soundless laughter as he slowed his pace, seeming to make the same discovery.  Then with joy, and perhaps with love for me and my childlike way of seeing the world, he began to run--bouncing me, jiggling me.

            And as he ran, the moon followed along.

Reflections: 

Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 


What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth. This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.--Chief Seattle (1786-1866)


--Do I agree that my actions affect the earth and ultimately affect me? If so, how?

--Did the earth bring me joy when I was a child? What are my memories?

--Do I yearn to be connected to the earth now? How can I honor that yearning?

--What might I do to honor and care for the earth?

Practice:  

How would you complete this sentence? What story would you tell?: "I first knew I was a child of the earth when. . ." You may wish to journal your response.

Find time this week to savor joy through creation.

The Poet's Prayer

If we are lucky, we have people in our lives who journey before us, and who care enough to stop and point the way.  My mother is a poet. Through her words she shares her heart, speaks her faith, and teaches us all of God. 

Sunrise

A Prayer for Quiet Times

In the stillness of early morn

God whispers.

In the stillness of early morn

I pray.

In the stillness of early morn

I thank him

For another day.

The breath of God who never sleeps

Warms me.

The breath of God who never sleeps

Embraces me.

The breath of God who never sleeps

Protects me

I am not alone.

God manifests himself

If I listen to singing birds.

God manifests himself

If I see floating clouds.

God manifests himself

If I feel rays of the rising sun.

He is in all creation

I shall rejoice.

Amen 

Estelle Darrow Rice

Reflections:


There are times in life when it is hard to see God. Sometimes we are blinded by tears. Other times we are distracted by busy-ness.  In those times, it is especially important to listen to the voice of the poet who reminds us that God is closer than the air we breathe, but cannot see.--Bunny Cox


Each memorable verse of a true poet has two or three times the written content.  ~Alfred de Musset, Le Poète déchu, 183


Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 

To know the creator, it is only necessary to study creation.--Joan Chittister, OSB

--Is there a time of day when I feel especially close to God?


--Do I set aside time during each day to be quiet and to pray? What are the obstacles? How might I include that as part of my day?


--How does my heart respond to these words: "The breath of God who never sleeps. . ."?

--Is there someone in my life who "points the way"? What have they taught me?