Tout va bien

by chuckofish

Well, the sky is blue, blue, blue in our flyover state.

I feel almost guilty with all the talk about Sandy, and both daughters # 1 and #2 now living on the east coast. They are both hunkering down with the essentials.

Photo from daughter #1’s blog

We’re hoping for the best.

Here is an appropriate prayer from the 1789 U.S. Book of Common Prayer:

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech thee, of thy great goodness, to restrain those immoderate rains, wherewith, for our sins, thou hast afflicted us. And we pray thee to send us such seasonable weather, that the earth may, in due time, yield her increase for our use and benefit. And give us grace, that we may learn by thy punishments to amend our lives, and for thy clemency to give thee thanks and praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Not surprisingly the Episcopal Church, when revising the BCP in 1976, left out this prayer. How the editors must have cringed at the idea of God punishing us! In fact, there is now no prayer for restraining immoderate weather, only a prayer For Rain. Here it is:

O God, heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised to all those who seek thy kingdom and its righteousness all things necessary to sustain their life: Send us, we entreat thee, in this time of need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth, to our comfort and to they honor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

All very well and good, but what shall we pray today? Anne Lamott once wrote: “’Help’ is a prayer that is always answered. It doesn’t matter how you pray–with your head bowed in silence, or crying out in grief, or dancing. Churches are good for prayer, but so are garages and cars and mountains and showers and dance floors.” (Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith) And here’s a good word from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The wise man in the storm prays to God not for safety from danger but for deliverance from fear.”

Anyway, keep praying.