"God is our refuge and strength ...
a very present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1

With a backdrop of the Iraqi War, our teaching staff experienced an extraordinary succession of personal tragedies this past school year. Family members died in unexpected ways, or were killed in freak accidents. Long-term marriages ended abruptly. Two families were beset with tragedy heaped on tragedy. A rash of fatal auto accidents capped the year.

For us, what felt like an onslaught of life-shaking events accomplished three important things: it confirmed that we have less control over the course of our lives than we would like to believe; it erased any residual inhibitions we may have had over sharing our faith in God with each other; and it brought us to our knees, both individually and communally, to pray for those among us who we knew were suffering.

About twelve of us, from various faiths, formed a prayer circle, and regularly met, outside of school hours, to praise God for his presence among us, and to beseech Him to unify and strengthen us, so that we could sustain each other. We prayed for God's gift of healing for specific individuals. Each of us prayed as the Spirit moved us, in ways our tradition had trained us. A Jewish colleague taught us a Hebrew healing chant.

Through this outward expression of love and compassion for each other, we came to know each other's hearts more intimately. The clasped hands around our circle bound us in a commitment of intercession that proved a novel experience for many among us. Friends who had never prayed aloud, or witnessed others who did, came to value this form of communication with God.

As I write this, the tragic events continue. The adult daughter of one of our prayer-circle partners died suddenly at a family reunion this week. Will our colleague's grief be any less because she was part of our circle? I doubt it. Might she be comforted and strengthened to bear up under the burden of her grief because of the support our prayer circle will give her? I pray she will. I pray that God will use her memory of interceding for others, and the knowledge that we are now praying for her in that same powerful way, to uplift and under gird her as she mourns the earth-shattering loss of her daughter.

Once touched by the power of the Holy Spirit who comforts and sustains us in our faith, who inspires us with the thoughts, words, and desires we need in order to pray, we begin to change. We become stronger and more assured, no matter what circumstances assail us.

In our situation, we had no place to go, but to God. He was our refuge. We, of our own power, could not effect healing. He was our strength. We were, indeed, in trouble. He was our very present help.

Dear God, thank you for giving us a place to go when our hearts are homeless, for giving us your strength when our hands are powerless, for being present with us when we are empty, alone, and helpless. We ask you to continue to bless and inspire all those who intercede for each other in prayer, as Christ intercedes for us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

Contributed by Donna S.
Published Monday July 21, 2003
Week 34 of Liturgical Year B