Pray for and support our neighbors in Charleston

Dear Friends in Christ,

Like many of you, I am shocked and deeply grieved over the murder of nine people at the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Given the profound nature of this tragedy, I would urge Episcopal congregations in our Diocese to include these approaches as you publicly and privately respond:

1. Contact immediately the local AME church in your neighborhood and express your own sorrow and offer to support them in any way that you can.

2. Remember these dear people both in your personal prayers as well as in your congregations’ public prayers this coming Sunday.

3. Include in those prayers, the prayer attributed to St. Francis as your public expression of commitment to be a people who build bridges of Christian love, mercy and justice with others on our communities.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where this is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. (BCP p. 833)

We choose to offer these expressions of love and prayer, believing in the intervention of God, who answers our prayers. We offer these expressions of love and prayer because we believe that all people matter, and that both as citizens and as Christians we want to pray and serve as God enables us. We believe that when some part of the Body suffers, we all suffer. Therefore, may we stand together in witness praying that God may use us and others in the ongoing task of peace and reconciliation.

Grace to you,
+Greg Brewer