ELCA Responds to Joplin Tornado
Gracious God,
Your word of peace stills the storms that rage in our world.
Bring hope to places that know devastation in the calm after this storm.
Bring comfort to those who grieve the loss of loved ones and property.
Let your love be known through those who work to bring order in the chaos.
Help us to shoulder the burden of suffering
And make us bearers of the hope that can be found in you
Through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
The powerful tornado that devastated Joplin, Missouri Sunday night is one of the deadliest in US history, with at least 116 people known dead so far.
"Residents say the city is completely unrecognizable," the Rev. Daniel Rift, director of the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal, wrote in a Monday e-Alert.
The building that housed an ELCA congregation has been destroyed, according to its pastor. Please keep the Rev. Bill Pape and the people of Peace Lutheran Church in Joplin in your prayers.
This outbreak is one of several destructive storms this spring. Communities throughout the Midwest and South have also faced widespread damage due to floods and severe storms.
ELCA Disaster Response is already assessing the situation in Joplin and other areas affected by severe storms and flooding. Your gifts are needed to help provide for the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by these disasters.
All of your gifts—100 percent—designated for "U.S. Severe Storms" will be used for emergency and long-term assistance following these storms. Please give generously and continue to pray for those whose lives have been uprooted by this disaster.
Prayer (c) ELCA, used by permission.
