Prayer for Ike Aftermath

Our Creator and Father,

Through the storm, through the night, lead us on to the light.Take our hand, precious Lord, lead us on. Be present, O God, with those who are discovering that loved ones have died, that homes and jobs are gone. Embrace them in your everlasting arms. Be present, O God, with those who suffer today in shelters, hot and weary from too little sleep and too much fear. Let them know they are not alone. Be present, O God, with those who wonder what they will find when they return to homes battered by the storm. Teach them to hope. Be present, O God, with those who have not been able to reach loved ones, who are frantic with worry. Offer them consolation. Be present, O God, with those who have hardly recovered from previous storms, who are unsure how much they can bear, who yearn only for quiet. Grant them peace. Be present, O God, with all who respond - mayors, police, firefighters, FEMA employees, Red Cross workers, pastors, church disaster response coordinators, and all others. Their work is just beginning, and may not end for many months. Strengthen them for service. Be present, O God, with the people of any destroyed houses of worship, and with the people of your Christian Church in storm damaged areas, and especially with the staff and members of the Episcopal Dioceses of Texas and Louisiana where we fear so much has been damaged. Inspire us by their determination to care for others amid their own trials. Be present, O God, to each of us as we pray, that distance may not deter us from generous giving and enduring companionship. Help us remember tomorrow, and next week, and next month. Be present, O God, with all affected by this storm, and with those still suffering from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav.

May Immanuel, God with us, our precious Jesus, take every hand and lead us on.

Amen.

Sad Day on the Home Front

Ike in Bridge City

According to CNN.com, "The coastal town of Bridge City was flooded by the Neches River and 9 feet of water was reported downtown."

According to FoxNews.com "Farther up the coast, much of Bridge City and downtown Orange were under up to 8 feet of water and rescue teams in dump trucks were plowing through in an effort to reach families trapped on roofs and inside attics."

Please pray for my community and family. It is likely that we have all lost a lot.

Mark Twain was Right

...truth is stranger than fiction. I am absolutely not making this up:

Spectators cheered as entire Cambodian Midget Fighting League squared off against an African Lion. Tickets had been sold-out three weeks before the much anticipated fight, which took place in the city of Kâmpóng Chhnãng. The fight was slated when an angry fan contested Yang Sihamoni, President of the CMFL, claiming that one lion could defeat his entire league of 42 midgets.

Sihamoni takes great pride in the league he helped create, as was conveyed in his recent advertising campaign for the CMFL that stated his midgets will "... take on anything; man, beast, or machine." This campaign is believed to be what sparked the undisclosed fan to challenge the entire league to fight a lion; a challenge that Sihamoni readily accepted. An African Lion (Panthera Leo) was shipped to centrally located Kâmpóng Chhnãng especially for the event, which took place last Saturday, April 30, 2005 in the city’s coliseum.

The Cambodian Government allowed the fight to take place, under the condition that they receive a 50% commission on each ticket sold, and that no cameras would be allowed in the arena. The fight was called in only 12 minutes, after which 28 fighters were declared dead, while the other 14 suffered severe injuries including broken bones and lost limbs, rendering them unable to fight back.

Sihamoni was quoted before the fight stating that he felt since his fighting midgets out-numbered the lion 42 to 1, that they “… could out-wit and out-muscle [it].” Unfortunately, he was wrong.

Source

Hurricane ReLoaded

Here we go again. Just about the time I thought I could go home and be with my wife, Ike comes calling. Please be in prayer for my wife, family, and all those in the path of this storm. They evacuated again this morning.

O God, Master of this world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former calm; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. During this Hurricane Ike, we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid. O Christ Jesus, Our Brother, Captain, and King, we ask that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, so that we will walk in the leading of the Divine Spirit to reach the New Heavens and New Earth where a storm-less eternity awaits us. Amen.

In the mean time, here are a few videos I took from my hotel during Gustav:

Out My Window This Morning

I woke this morning to discover that Ol' Gus had snuck up on me a bit. Here is the scene from my room at about 9:00 a.m (don't ask me who in their right mind is out driving).

According to the weather man, the worst is yet to come. Don't worry though, I think I'm pretty safe here at the QI. I've never been this close to a sinificant hurricane, and I must admit that it is an awesome and terrifying thing to behold.

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear

though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling.