By the Rev. Dr. Jim Antal
Minister & President, Massachusetts Conference

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Today, like any day, we turn to God in prayer. And unlike any other day, we do so with special intensity and specificity, asking God to offer strength and courage to the communities in our Commonwealth who yesterday suffered a terrible time of devastation.

In response to disasters, I find strength, candor, perspective and hope in the words of Psalm 46 – which I’ve pasted below.

Our Conference web site , and our Facebook Page  will be regularly updated as we learn more. For now, see an article featuring some responses by Rev. Bob Maronne here. Soon, we will have suggestions for how you can help. Our Associate Conference Minister, the Rev. Don Remick, together with the Rev. Jim Tilbe, are the MACUCC Disaster Response Team Coordinators. They will be updating these sites, and sending you emails. Their current message on our web site adds, “Be assured that your help will be needed. Our responsibility and challenge as a people of covenant will be to hang in there with our brothers and sisters for the long haul, long after the media has moved on to other stories.”

Now please join me in prayer:

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
[2] Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
[3] though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

[4] There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
[5] God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
[6] The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
God utters a voice, the earth melts.
[7] The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.

[8] Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations God has brought on the earth.
[9] God makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
God breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
God burns the shields with fire.
[10] "Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth."
[11] The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Jim