A Prayer on the Anniversary of 9/11

[Weedon]

from Synod's FB page:

Lover of the human race, kind heavenly Father, on this anniversary of the tragedy that befell our nation 12 years ago, we pause under Your embrace to remember.

We remember those whose lives were lost that fateful day.

We remember the compassion and courage of our first responders.

We remember the families that were torn apart, never to be united again in this fallen age.

We remember all who ministered to broken hearts and sought to bring them Your comfort.

We remember the way our nation changed that day.

And as we remember, we beg Your mercy on all who carry wounds of heart, body or mind.

We ask Your mercy on all who continue to serve in our armed forces, strengthening and upholding them in every good deed.

We ask Your mercy upon all our first responders who so frequently put themselves in harm’s way to protect us.

We ask Your mercy for our public servants that they be given wisdom as they continue the struggle against terror and violence in our world.

We ask Your mercy also on those who meant us harm, begging You to give them the gift of repentance, changed hearts and new minds.

And we ask all these things in the name of Him who knew in His own body the pain inflicted by unreasoning hatred and religious violence, our Lord Jesus Christ, whose love triumphs over all, whose forgiveness holds us fast, and who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

https://www.facebook.com/TheLCMS

[J. Thomas Shelley]

Amen.

[LutherMan]

Thank you...

[Dave Benke]

Thanks for this.  This is a difficult day particularly for New Yorkers, particularly for victim family members, and for our Lutheran community of faith.  It's also a time that is extraordinarily difficult for me on a personal level.


Dave Benke

[Eileen Smith]

Thank you very much - it is, indeed, a difficult day

[D. Engebretson]

An appropriate and well-written prayer. Thank you. This day, among other events, was a reason for my last 10 years serving as one of those "first responders."  To this day many of us wear on our helmets the numbers "343" to remember the firefighters of FDNY who risked their lives and lost them on behalf of the many who also perished that day. 

[Matt Staneck]

Thanks, Pr. W, all the way from Lower Manhattan.

M. Staneck

[Charles_Austin]

I would probably need hypnosis to  clearly remember all of the events of that day and the following days.
On the docks in Hoboken watching people being ferried from Manhattan to New Jersey. The many follow-up interreligious worship services. Being with cops in New Jersey parking lot checking license plates of people who did not return home. The smell and smoke that lingered for weeks. Putting out an "extra" edition that day. The famous flag picture, which was by Tom Franklin, one of The Record's photographers. The darkness and some spots of light. O my!

[J. Thomas Shelley]

I would probably need hypnosis to  clearly remember all of the events of that day and the following days.

The absolutely azure, crystal-clear skies over southcentral Pennsylvania this morning were hypnosis enough for me....meteorlogically identical to twelve years ago.

[Weedon]

We're not having that beautiful weather here in St. Louis, but in any case, what I'll always remember was the sudden silence in the skies for all those days...

[Dan Fienen]

A sidebar to 9/11 remembrances.  NBC during its coverage of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics aired an hour special about Gander, Newfoundland,  who for several days after 9/11 hosted the passengers and crews of over 40 transoceanic flights diverted there when North American airspace was closed.  Their kindness and hospitality was a bright,  spot in those dark days.

Dan

[Eileen Smith]

Words from Stephen Bouman (Bishop of MNYS in 2001) - reflecting on this day.  These were shared widely via Facebook and emails and wanted to share with all here.



8:46 tomorrow morning. Take a moment to remember. Say a prayer at the time the first plane hit the WTC in NY and the other tragedies followed. I remember these lines by Maya Angelou written in the aftermath of September 11 as she remembered the many heroes that day...

With out their fierce devotion
We are fragile and forlorn
Stumbling briefly among the stars.
We and our futures belong to them
Exquisitely,our beliefs and our
Breaths are made tangible in their love.

Let us remember all the bravery, “exquisitely tangible,” all the public and anonymous heroes, in a time when “serving and giving for others rose above every other concern. Think about all of the giving. Those uniformed and civilian servants who risked their lives for others on September 11, on the flights, in the Pentagon, at Ground Zero in New York;teachers who comforted children and waited till all were safely accounted for (we lost 47 parents of our Lutheran school children that day);pastors and parishes who kept their doors open and sat with the public,listening to their lament for months;those around the world and throughout our church who sent stuffed animals,cards, letters, money, expressions of prayerful compassion, visits; ironworkers, truck drivers, chaplains, counselors, volunteers, all who worked at ground zero, at the morgues, at the site in Staten Island during the long months of rescue, then recovery; military chaplains and those who serve in our armed forces; those who lost loved ones, friends, businesses and worked at the dignity of living every day with sorrow. Walking the streets of Manhattan, going on the subways, a different spirit prevailed. All this heroism and sacrifice and shared sorrow made us open to one another. The open window reminded us that for a time we were one metropolis, not divided by inner city\suburb or race or class;that for a time our synod and national church lived in unity of prayerful purpose, transcending the things which vex us and divide us. We were neighbors, sisters, brothers,friends to one another, almost outside of ourselves and our narrow self interests.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:12-14)

At Ground Zero when the remains of a child of God would be found something remarkable would happen. All activity would cease. The pile would gentle down to silence. With bowed, uncovered heads everyone at Ground Zero would show their consummate respect for life as the remains would be lovingly brought out from the rubble. Let us remember, with bowed heads and respectful silence, the heroes, the servants, the extended act of giving which surrounded all of us us.

And let our hearts break open to the ground zeros of today...

8:46 tomorrow

Stephen

[Dave Benke]

Words from Stephen Bouman (Bishop of MNYS in 2001) - reflecting on this day.  These were shared widely via Facebook and emails and wanted to share with all here.



8:46 tomorrow morning. Take a moment to remember. Say a prayer at the time the first plane hit the WTC in NY and the other tragedies followed. I remember these lines by Maya Angelou written in the aftermath of September 11 as she remembered the many heroes that day...

With out their fierce devotion
We are fragile and forlorn
Stumbling briefly among the stars.
We and our futures belong to them
Exquisitely,our beliefs and our
Breaths are made tangible in their love.

Let us remember all the bravery, “exquisitely tangible,” all the public and anonymous heroes, in a time when “serving and giving for others rose above every other concern. Think about all of the giving. Those uniformed and civilian servants who risked their lives for others on September 11, on the flights, in the Pentagon, at Ground Zero in New York;teachers who comforted children and waited till all were safely accounted for (we lost 47 parents of our Lutheran school children that day);pastors and parishes who kept their doors open and sat with the public,listening to their lament for months;those around the world and throughout our church who sent stuffed animals,cards, letters, money, expressions of prayerful compassion, visits; ironworkers, truck drivers, chaplains, counselors, volunteers, all who worked at ground zero, at the morgues, at the site in Staten Island during the long months of rescue, then recovery; military chaplains and those who serve in our armed forces; those who lost loved ones, friends, businesses and worked at the dignity of living every day with sorrow. Walking the streets of Manhattan, going on the subways, a different spirit prevailed. All this heroism and sacrifice and shared sorrow made us open to one another. The open window reminded us that for a time we were one metropolis, not divided by inner city\suburb or race or class;that for a time our synod and national church lived in unity of prayerful purpose, transcending the things which vex us and divide us. We were neighbors, sisters, brothers,friends to one another, almost outside of ourselves and our narrow self interests.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:12-14)

At Ground Zero when the remains of a child of God would be found something remarkable would happen. All activity would cease. The pile would gentle down to silence. With bowed, uncovered heads everyone at Ground Zero would show their consummate respect for life as the remains would be lovingly brought out from the rubble. Let us remember, with bowed heads and respectful silence, the heroes, the servants, the extended act of giving which surrounded all of us us.

And let our hearts break open to the ground zeros of today...

8:46 tomorrow

Stephen

Beautiful.  I made yesterday a reflection and work day, mostly at the parish in Brooklyn. 

While at the corner bodega, still called "Lucky's," even though Lucky has passed away and the store is under new ownership, a woman in a Yankees jersey was waiting on line, speaking to the men in Spanish. 

As I joined in, she brought out a photo.  It was her dad, Officer Rodriguez, one of the thirty-two NYPD officers to be killed on September 11, 2001.  Her brother, also NYPD, died in the line of duty last year.  That news stopped my world in its tracks, and then we prayed, while on line at the bodega.

Dave Benke

[Charles_Austin]

My grandson, who lives in a Minneapolis suburb, has been to New York many times and has been to the ground zero site. Yesterday he decided to wear his New York Mets Jersey to school to remind people of New York on 9/11. And he tells people what I told him about my experiences during those days. What a guy!

[Dave Benke]

An article in the NYTimes today lifted up the "slurry wall," which was exposed and will now remain exposed in the 9/11 museum to be opened next year.  It's a gigantic retaining wall designed to keep the Hudson River away from retaking its turf; if it had not been there when the towers came down, the estimation is that there would have been a Sandy-like flood throughout lower Manhattan.  It is a powerful symbol for those of us who were down at that level often in the days/years after September 11.  We (LDRNY) and the Victims Family Association fought in congress against the first idea, which was that the underground levels on the site would be dedicated to a bus terminal for tourist buses.  Terror tourism, constructed on the bed of ashes of 3000 people at least 1200 for whom no remains have ever been identified.  So the slurry wall is a powerful powerful witness to the cross of Christ for me - where as Elert describes it, the ash that is left of me is met by the Crucified Christ and I am reborn in Him.

Dave Benke