Disaster Area

A Favorite Prayer from Compline

In these past days that seem like one long night...

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep.  Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake.  Amen.

The nurses have worked, while we, Sue's friends and family, have kept watch and wept.

It Figures... and a Prayer

Biggest game of the year for the Seahawks, and I get to see maybe the first half hour of the game, due to the fact that I'll be preparing to play the music for the kiddies Christmas Eve pageant at church.

Of course, my woes are miniscule compared to those of the coach of today's opponents, who lost his 18 year old son to suicide two days ago. My prayers go out to you, Tony Dungy.

Mission Tripping

Our mission team leaves tomorrow, after an overnight at church. I'm not going with them, but they're a wonderful group of youth and adults, so they'll be in my prayers for the coming week. I'll also be driving them to the airport tomorrow at some ungodly hour.

Here's what we did last year, who we met and a quick review.

Arsenic, a Sad Death and a Surprise Trip

Wow, has it really been five days since I posted?

Life in June was supposed to settle down, but if anything it's gone the other way. First I was encouraged to try out for a play that my church will be putting on in September - the old favorite Arsenic and Old Lace. Well, our esteemed directors would like me to play Mortimer Brewster - the character played by Cary Grant in the 1944 movie version. Of course, I can't possibly turn down a challenge like that, so that gives me something to keep me occupied during the summer.

Then we heard of the sudden death of a friend from brain aneurysm. Marj and her husband have been the very personification of selfless service in helping others and it came as a complete shock. Driving back from helping friends by lending them a car, Marj developed a quickly worsening headache. It was all over very suddenly, but life support kept her alive so that her organs could be donated. Even in death she continues to serve. Rest in peace, Marj.

Words fail me at this point, but one thing that strikes me about all-age faith communities is that there is a sense that death is a part of the fabric of community life. Hip, young, mono-age cultures don't get to see that, at least not right away.

In the middle of all this I was asked to represent my company at a meeting at Cambridge University. Yes, the fancy one in England, where Maggi serves. With a little side trip to the Paris Air Show, the next couple of weeks will be very interesting, not to say exhausting. Especially as I'll get back from Europe and turn right around a staff a week long high school camp.

Well, I'll try not to be a slacker the remainder of this week and see if I can post something actually thoughtful.

Pray For Jake, Jean and family

Jake is the brother of Adam's friend Jean. Read the entire story and pray for and with them.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."