Almighty Creator,

We come before you in shock, in brokenness, in sorrow,
in the wake of the mighty winds that devastated schools and hospital, homes and businesses;
in the wake of this tragedy that has shifted the earth beneath our feet.

We come before you because the tide of our grief roars and foams and threatens to overwhelm us.
And now, in our sorrow, we need to know your presence.

So be our refuge, O God. Be our strength.

Let us depend on your faithfulness–that you will carry us through this time of mourning and into the lives we must live now.
Let us rejoice in your faithfulness–that you are empowering many servants to help heal and rebuild.
Let us live lives of faithfulness–that we might follow Jesus’ path of peace and justice with each step we are privileged to take in this world.

Holy One, receive our praise and receive our prayers. Hear our sighs too deep for words.
Protect those who continue to search for the living.
Strengthen those who tend to the wounded of body and soul.
Surround and shelter those whose homes have been destroyed.
Provide deep peace to those whose loved ones have been killed.
Send your Holy Spirit–the Comforter–to dwell among us and within us–now and always.
Amen.

*This prayer is inspired by Psalm 46 and adapted from a prayer I wrote for my friend Lola’s funeral.