Pastoral note, from Garrett

He was asked if he was afraid. This was on national TV. So, of course, he said, “No.” But his mom interjected: “He just graduated from kindergarten. He’d been at camp for half a day. He didn’t know what was going on.” This six-year-old had climbed up into the rafters in his cabin in the middle of the night to avoid flooding before he and his bunkmates were rescued.

When our deacon communion team met on Sunday before the 9 a.m. service, I asked them what was on their mind. Phil Mason said, “Those babies at camp in the hill country.” Everyone nodded. We were all thinking about the flooding in the hill country. 

We decided to switch things up in the order of worship and start with communion. We needed a reflective time to be together, grieve, and remember the love of God that overwhelms the boundaries of life and death.

In tender moments like these, sometimes we need to be given words to say or things to do. Acting out our faith at communion reminds us of the brokenness and grief around us, but also helps to orient ourselves toward the horizon of God’s kingdom, and the joyful banquet in the end when all shall be well, all manner of things shall be well. In this life, sorrow and love flow mingled down. 

A power outage messed with our livestreaming capabilities on Sunday. We are working to determine what went wrong and ensure we are online for Sunday. We apologize for not being able to connect on Sunday. 

The people in the Hill Country and around the state who are grieving need our prayers. So let’s continue to pray…

Good and gracious God, you created in the beginning by drawing back the waters to bring forth the dry land. You planted a garden. You tended the soil. You created us from the earth. And now, oh God, we pray that you would renew this creative work among us. Bring the healing we desperately need. 

 The waters of the deep have been unleashed upon your children, Lord. The damage is beyond our imagination. The grief aches. We hear the stories of survivors. We see the names and images of children lost. And we shudder in sorrow. 

Through your Son, Jesus the Christ, we come to understand that you are a God who heals, not harms. So we look for you now in the recovery efforts underway.  

 Grant us generous hearts, quick minds, and a persistent spirit to aid in the rebuilding and recovery. We pray that our response would reflect your love for all people and all creation, and bring honor and glory to your holy name. Amen.

Grace and peace, 

Garrett Vickrey