Sermons 2005
"O God, how can we sing to you...." Katrina Relief, 4 September 2005













Home | "The One who is coming after me", Advent 2B, 4 December 2005, Mark 1:1-8 | "Stay awake. Be alert" Advent 1B, 27 November 2005, Mark13:24-37 | "Black Hat vs White Hat" Proper 26A, 30 October 2005, Matthew 23:1-12 | "Sheep and Goats -- again!" Proper 29A, 20 November 2005, Matthew 25:31-46 | "The Greatest Commandment" Proper 25A, 23 October 2005 Matthew 22: 34-46 | God and Caesar, Proper 24A, 16 October 2005, Matthew 22:15-22 | The Wedding Banquet, Proper 23A, 9 October 2005, Matthew 22:1-14 | The Landlord and the Tenants, Proper 22A , 2 October 2005, Matthew 21:33-43 | "Who will go?" Proper 21A, 25 September 2005, Matthew 21:28-32 | "The Last shall be first", Proper 20A, 18 September 2005, Matthew 20:1-16 | "Forgiveness, grace, and mercy", Proper 19A, 11 September 2005, Matthew 18:21-35 | "But who do YOU say that I am?" Proper 16A, 21 August 2005, Matthew 16:13-20 | "O God, how can we sing to you...." Katrina Relief, 4 September 2005 | "The kingdom of heaven is like...." Proper 12A, 24 July 2005, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-49a | "The wheat and the tares", Proper 11A, 17 July 2005, Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43 | "Ears to listen", Proper 10A, 10 July 2005, Matthew 15:1-9, 18-23 | "A cup of cold water", Proper 8A, 26 June 2005, Matthew 10:34-42 | "Heseth: lovingkindness, not sacrifice", Proper 5A , 5 June 2005, Matthew 9:9-13; Hosea 6:6 | Trinity: A Theological Exploration, 22 May 2005, Matthew 28:16-20 | The Baptism of Parker Benjamin Throckmorton, Pentecost Sunday, 15 May 2005 | "Receive the Holy Spirit" Pentecost , 15 May 2005, John 20: 19-23 | "Unity or schism?" Easter 7A, 8 May 2005, John 17:1-11 | "Abide in me", Easter 6A, 1 May 2005, John 15:1-8 | "The Way, the Truth, and the Life", Easter 5A , 24 April 2005, John 14:1-14 | "Saint Thomas the Doubter", Easter 2A, 3 April 2005, John 20:19-31 | "The Lord is Risen Indeed!", Easter A , 27 March 2005, Matthew 28:1-10; John 20:1-18 | "The Shadow of the Cross", Passion Sunday A, 20 March 2005, Matthew 26:36-27:66 | Raising of Lazarus", Lent 5A, 13 March 2005, Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 11:1-44 | "Who are the blind?" Lent 4A, 6 March 2005, John 9:1-38 | "Water and Living Water", Lent 3A, 27 February 2005, John 4:5-42 | Baptized and Born Again", Lent 2A, 20 February 2005, John 3:1-17 | Temptation and the Kingdom of God, Lent 1A, 13 February 2005, Matthew 4:1-11 | "'Tis good to be here, " Epiphany Last A, 6 February 2005, Matthew 17:1-9 | "Follow me!" Epiphany 3A, 23 January 2005, Matthew 4:12-23 | "Come and See!" Epiphany 2A, 16 January 2005, John 1:29-41 | The Baptism of our Lord -- and Ours, Epiphany 1A, 9 January 2005, Matthew 3:13-17 | Christmas 2A: The Tsunami, God, and our Neighbor", Matthew 2, 2 January 2005 | Next Sunday to be posted soon




















The Sunday after Hurricane Katrina, 4 September 2005

From the website of the Episcopal Church, these prayers and thoughts, expanded:

Let us pray:
Most Merciful, Most Compassionate God
Hear our prayers for your people affected by Hurricane Katrina, And let their cries come unto You.

O God, the floods have engulfed the land
The storms made a wasteland of water
How can we sing to you
When so many have died or are missing?

Strengthen those who cling to life
Keep their hope and hearts alive;
Revive the weary rescue workers and tired medical teams
Renew the resolve of those who have lost everything.

Quicken all efforts to rush resources and aid
Send our people to help;
Open our hearts to give and give again
That we may be generous bearers of healing and help.

God of the Universe
Pour out your Spirit of mercy and compassion
In Your Name we pray. AMEN.

O God, the floods have engulfed the land
The storms made a wasteland of water
How can we sing to you
When so many have died or are missing?

If we were Revelation watchers, we would have had our calculators out this week, running the numbers over and over again and again to see if the world might not be ending. We sat, as we did just over four years ago in the aftermath of 9-11, as we sat mesmerized by Hurricane Katrina's crossing over Florida, gaining new relentless strength in the Gulf of Mexico and turning toward Louisiana and Mississippi. We breathed a sigh of relief the morning the Category 5 storm weakened as it went inland. We thought the worst was over. But then the levees broke in New Orleans. We found it impossible that it could get worse, but it did. Now there was devastation by the deadly floods that raged into this once beautiful city where so many of our brothers and sisters were trapped. A city which is no more.

O God, the floods have engulfed the land
The storms made a wasteland of water
How can we sing to you
When so many have died or are missing?

Twenty-thousand people did not, until late this week, have a way to get out of the Superdome, which soon became uninhabitable. Looters ran in and out of ruined stores, grabbing whatever they can carry; one woman holds a package of disposable diapers over her face as she passes the television camera. Others quickly ransacked the stores for weapons: shotguns, rifles, pistols, and ammunition. Inside the Superdome thuggish elements begin to rob other victims, even taking their shoes. Relief helicopters were fired upon and their crews assaulted. Civil disorder reigns when hope seems to be gone and despair takes over the souls of humankind.

When a ground convoy was finally able to break through on Friday, some were grateful. But many others were not, jeering and catcalling, “What took you so long.”

O God, the floods have engulfed the land
The storms made a wasteland of water
How can we sing to you
When so many have died or are missing?

How indeed?

Workers still go from house to house, spray-painting black marks on the ones in which the dead remain: there is still no time to recover them even now, not with so many of the living still being rescued.

In a Baghdad that was already one of the most dangerous places on earth, at least 640 people are dead this past week in the area around a Shi'a mosque after a false suicide bomber alarm caused a stampede during a spiritual pilgrimage. Men, women and children, were trampled to death or drowned in the Tigris after the railing of the bridge they were walking on collapsed and they tumbled into the water.

The devastation from flooding continues in India. The drought continues in Niger. The displaced in Zimbabwe remain homeless and without food. People in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India remain in camps after last year's tsunami. Christians in the Sudan continue to be enslaved by their own government. Disasters, natural and otherwise continue to stalk the planet. But these things were not on our TV screens this week.

O God, How can we sing to you
When so many have died or are missing?

And so the response must also continue. Episcopal Relief and Development will need our help again. If we tire of being asked to help again and again, we need only think of the exhaustion of the people who need that help and we will remember how blessed we are to be alive, dry, housed, fed, employed, healthy.

The Men’s Breakfast voted yesterday to empty their treasury by sending $500.00. Bishop Lee has sent $10,000 to each of the three dioceses in Mississippi and Louisiana. Those dioceses have turned over their camp and coference centers to evacuated residents of nursing homes and hospitals and are soliciting parishioners to welcome strangers into their homes from the devastated areas. The response has been overwhelming.

I will empty the parish discretionary fund to send . This is the first Sunday of the month. If there was ever a time to dig deep into your hearts and souls AND your wallets and checkbooks, this is it.

O God, How can we sing to you
When so many have died or are missing?
This is how we can sing; this is how we can help.

O God, Quicken all efforts to rush resources and aid
Send our people to help;
Open our hearts to give and give again
That we may be generous bearers of healing and help

As some of us already know from a broadside email sent yesterday, in a conference call late Friday afternoon with representatives of Virginia's faith communities, the Governor of Virginia made several specific requests for help in a coordinated relief effort between Virginia and the devastated Gulf states.

He asked first for prayer support, specifically for the victims, their families and the rescue workers. Second, he encouraged us to take up special collections to go toward the relief effort.

Governor Warner also asked the faith communities to help identify shelter/housing and transportation resources (buses) for those who have been displaced by Katrina. The Diocese of Virginia, institutionally, is examining what resources it may have along these lines that may be of assistance. The Commonwealth of Virginia is coordinating a statewide effort to assess and provide housing, shelter, and transportation resources. They are compiling a database of information for follow up action in the coming weeks.

They have asked that responses to this request come through churches and not from parishioners directly. I ask you to send me your responses by email or hand me a note.

Finally, the Governor made the request that churches not send unsolicited teams to the affected areas at this point. Likewise, he asked that churches not send unsolicited trucks with material supplies unless you know where they are going, who will handle the distribution, and that what you are sending is what is needed.

In the midst of our frustration and feelings of helplessness in the face of a natural disaster of such vast magnitude, these are signs of hope as government and churches work together to do whatever they – whatever WE can. None of us have a magic wand to wave to make it go away. But we can help.

If we grow weary of the bad news, sick at heart, we have help for that, too: a God who will strengthen and encourage and invigorate us for service when we turn to him. A God who loved us all and loves us still. That is always our hope and our joy in the midst of sorrow.

Let us pray.

A Prayer for Rescue, Recovery, Rebuilding
O gracious God, we will never understand the sorrows of the world, but by your grace we will not turn away from them. Renew and sustain in us the spirit of love that crosses miles. Cheer and encourage those who labor to help the injured, the homeless, the hungry and those in despair. Soften the hearts of those who would take advantage of tragedy for their own profit, that they may come to know where true joy is to be found. Unite us in prayer with all those who look for help, and use us to come speedily to them with the things that they need. We ask these things in your own most holy Name, and in the Name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

AMEN.
















Wicomico Parish Church, Wicomico Church, Virginia 22579