Church Stuff-More or less

Does the church make sense or do we make it too hard for people to come in? I think yes and yes and the task then is to make it easier. Maybe for someone out there, this will be the case. I write as a Lutheran (or, perhaps a Lutherpalian) although I might seem out of the mainstream from time to time. That's okay, isn't it? Let's blog on.

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Location: Northport, Long Island, United States

Contrary to what Google will tell you, I have been blogging for several year, right here. Look for Churchstuff-moreorless. life was a hell of a lot easier when you could talk to someone to get help. Now, you can't do it on the telephone, you can't do it on the internet. Life was easier and made more sense because people actually cared. Now they will screw you as quickly as they will help you. Unfuck the world.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Haiti Cries . . . And We Cry With Them

(A prayer as we search through the rubble)

by Safiyah Fosua


Earth shaking

Home breaking

Ground-moved-the-mountain-into-my-way tragedy!

Broken bodies

Broken hearts

Broken lives.



Haiti cries

And we cry with them.



God,

Our hearts are aching as we try to imagine what the daylight brought

To our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

Heal the young eyes that have seen far too much on this day.

Heal the hearts of many who have lost friends, family and a way of life on this day.

Be with those who are missing

And those who are dying outside of the grasp of

Loving hands to hold them

Loving voices to soothe them.

Move us over here from empathy to action

From sympathy to substance

As we contemplate what can be done to help

Today

And many days

Into a forever-changed future.

Amen.

See other Prayers, Hymns, Sermons and Resources for Times of Natural Disaster on this website.

UMCOR Relief Efforts

Safiyah Fosua is Director of Invitational Preaching Ministries with the General Board of Discipleship.

Copyright 2010 The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, PO Box 340003, Nashville TN 37203-0003. Worship website: www.umcworship.org.
This resource may be printed, copied, distributed, reprinted in church bulletins or newsletters, or otherwise used for nonprofit local church worship or education with the inclusion of the copyright citation and General Board of Discipleship Worship website as its source.


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

A Haitian Prayer

A Haitian Prayer

ImageSenye, si nap viv jodi a
malgre siklon, grangou, ak maladi,
nou dwe di,
“Mesi, Senye
Nou genle la pou yon bi.”


Lord, if we are alive today
in spite of hurricanes, hunger and sickness,
we should say,
“Thank you, Lord,
we must be here for a purpose.”

(Haitian prayer)


Wednesday, January 06, 2010

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoners,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.

––Howard Thurman