O God,

who in Jesus stills the storm and soothes the troubled heart,

bring hope and courage to all

who are affected by Hurricane Irene as we wait in uncertainty.

Bring assurance that you will be with us in whatever lies ahead.

Give us courage to endure all that we now face,

for you are our refuge and strength.

You are God, and we need you.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

(Adapted from ELW Pastoral Care)

 

As our region anticipates the arrival of Hurricane Irene, I write to let you know Bishop Burkat and the synod staff hold you and all of our congregations in prayer. It is clearly going to be a difficult weekend for many up and down the East Coast. Please be safe, and please be alert to the conditions and needs in your communities. 

Please read these important announcements:

The City of Philadelphia is recommending limited travel and exposure to weather conditions during the worst of the storm from 10 pm Saturday, Aug. 27 until 3 pm on Sunday, August 28. An email sent to faith leaders forwarded by Bishop Burkat reports that “Mayor Michael A. Nutter, encourages leaders to exercise maximum caution and prudence in decisions regarding worship schedules during the height of the hurricane's effects on our city.” Of course, advise your congregation and the media if you are canceling services. Similar caution seems advised in suburban counties as well, all of which are under hurricane or tropical storm warnings as of this writing.

Lutheran Disaster Response - Eastern PA is already gearing up for potential emergency relief.  Please let us know how the storm impacts your community and your congregation.  Please email us at with any reports. We will share them with LDR. Please note that during the storm and for some time after we may not be able to monitor this email account regularly.

The Lutheran Theological Seminary has cancelled events after 6 pm Saturday and urges all residents to stay inside during the storm. The Board of Pensions Re-Firement workshop scheduled for Saturday has also been cancelled.

Please note that communications may become difficult during the storm and its aftermath. If there are power outages and/or downed telephone wires in the Mt. Airy area, synod email servers and telephones may be down. We suggest copying email us to over the next few days.

Please monitor news media for storm information. We will post relevant congregational and disaster information via email and website as we are able.

May God bless you and keep you safe during the coming storm.

 

Bob Fisher

Assistant to the Bishop