Michael Schut, Episcopal Church Economic and Environmental Affairs Officer, gathered the resources as Americans look to prayer and healing for the damage that has occurred.
“The disaster in the Gulf of Mexico brings into focus our calling as a church and a people of faith,” Schut says. “As time passes, I have heard more and more cries of grief in response to the Gulf oil spill disaster. The grief is a good sign it reveals the depth of our connections to the people, the families, the pelicans, the ocean”s waters, the turtles. One of our calls is to provide worship, theology, time, openness and space to nurture these connections. And when we grieve, we are called to provide a place and a context for healing.”
Among the prayer and liturgical resources are:
– “For the Beauty of the Earth”: A Christian Vigil in Thanksgiving and Lamentation for Our Planet Home from St. John's Episcopal Church in Charlotte, NC
– National Council of Churches' “Prayers for the Gulf”
– Litany for the Deepwater Horizon Disaster created by the Mission of St. Clare
– “A Lesson from the Gulf Oil Spill: We Are All Connected,” commentary from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, first published in the Huffington Post
– “Addicted to Oil and the Love of Life,” a sermon by Schut
Also available is a link to the Episcopal Public Policy Network to add voices to those speaking up for more effective policies related to the disaster.
For more information contact Schut at mschut@episcopalchurch.org.
~ The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ in 109 dioceses and three regional areas in 16 nations. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.