What's your church, synagogue, mosque doing?
HOLY SPIRIT BLOWS AGAINST THE WIND, by Frank Moore, Director of Congregational Mission,First Lutheran Church, Greensboro
Watching TV on Tuesday, FLC member Nonnie Booher saw the pain of Hurricane Katrina victims. "I couldn't believe it. They didn't have food or water or anything," she said.
She had an idea - "the Holy Spirit nudged me" - and called Pastor Charlie. "Pastor Charlie," she said, passionately, "how come we're not having a prayer service for those poor people in Louisiana?"
Hmmm, that's a good question, Nonnie. I'm glad you called. Let me see what I can do," he said. After a few phone calls and some scheduling, a solution popped up: "We'll have a 5 p.m. prayer service on Wednesday," he said. A phone tree and email were sent to the congregation in a quick attempt to alert them to this opportunity to express their faith.
Pastor Charlie prepared a prayer sheet, organized his thoughts and waited for those wanting to pray for the hurricane victims. "I don't know how many we'll have because it was so last-minute," Pastor Charlie said, "but any number will be OK because I know others will be praying with us elsewhere."
About 4:50 p.m., they started coming, young and old, and filled about 50 spaces in the pews at First Lutheran. A psalm was read responsively, silent time for prayer was offered and then the group came together in a "ring of love" around the altar. The voice of one man, whose wife has relatives in Louisiana, quivered as he prayed for them. Voices both strong and mild offered fervent and heart-felt prayers to ease the pain of the people and to seek God's peace for them. Agnes Bahrs prayed for Anne and Al Vaeth's son's family in Louisiana.
And Nonnie? She gripped the hands of the people beside her and prayed for peace, peace from the pain she had first seen on TV. "I believe in the power of prayer," she said.
On a Wednesday afternoon in the cool of a worship space, a spark of an idea, a welcoming attitude of a pastor, the beseeching hearts of compassionate people all came together in the common cause of healing and hope, and God's love embraced the prayers and those for whom they were praying.