St. Paul's United Church of Christ

Dear St. Paul’s Friends & Family,

I had the honor of participating in the 25^th Anniversary Morning Observance Program at the Flight 93 National Memorial on Friday.  As we remember the terrible events of September 11, 2001, and lives that were lost and the many more lives that were forever changed, I share with you the prayer that I prayed on Friday.

May you experience God’s peace and presence as we reflect and remember.

Peace,

Pastor Matt

“O, God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come. 

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home.”   Isaac Watts, 1719

We gather before you today giving thanks for those whose lives were lifted up to you in the ultimate act of love and sacrifice so that the lives of countless neighbors would be spared from injury and death.  We humbly ask for your blessing upon the memory of the passengers and crew members of United Airlines Flight 93, whose actions and souls are forever linked to this sacred place.  We give thanks that 25 years ago, 40 strangers, each on their own journey, united behind a single purpose that not only saved lives, but whose actions will continue to inspire countless generations.

God of Many Names may your Spirit surround their families who continue to bear the burden of their loss.  Hold them securely in your love so that they may be joined eternally to you and to their departed loved ones.  Provide for them sustenance for life’s journey as they live out each day.  Grant to them the continued blessings of new life, youth and children, who will join in sharing the courageous stories of their loved ones who sacrificed themselves defending others.  Bind them together in your Spirit’s tether.  May sacred memory embrace them with continued healing and a future full of hope and abundant life.  

Encourage us, O God, to make of our lives a living sacrifice, dedicated to works of mercy, love, and generosity toward our neighbor.  Nurture among us a beloved community that cares for the grieving and courageously contends with the darkness of hate, bigotry, religious extremism, intolerance, and all forces that diminish our life together.

Grant that we, your people, of all faiths, and of no faith, be guided in the ways of peace and justice as we seek to respond to your love by loving you, our neighbor, and ourselves with all our strength and being.  May the courage and selflessness of the 40 passengers and crew members of Flight 93 inspire us to live lives committed to protecting the life, dignity, and freedom of friends and strangers.  Continue to shepherd us, O Holy One, from this sacred space into the worship that is our lives.

“O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Be thou our guide while life shall last,

And our eternal home.”     Isaac Watts, 1719

Amen.

The Good Samaritan Fund was established to respond with compassion to urgent needs in the Somerset community. Through this ministry, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ may provide short-term assistance to individuals and families facing unexpected financial hardship or other immediate challenges.

St. Paul’s vital ministries would not be possible without your support. Whether we are providing regular religious services, spiritual and emotional care to meet the needs of community members, food and housing assistance, musical opportunities for children, youth, and adults, or offering our building and congregation as a community resource, none of these ministries exist without the support of members and friends of St. Paul’s.

Please consider supporting our community work by giving in person or online.

Online monetary gifts may be given through tithe.ly.  You can make a gift by accessing our website (see the “Give” button on the homepage or the button below), www.stpaulsuccsomerset.org.  You may also download the free tithe.ly app to your smartphone or tablet and customize it to meet your needs.  Although the service is free to the church, credit card and transaction fees are assessed to each gift, so when making an online contribution through tithe.ly, please consider using the bank funds transfer feature, which has the lowest fee of one percent per transaction.  For your convenience, you may also select the reoccurring gift option if you would like to make regular gifts to the church.  If you have any questions or need assistance using this service, please do not hesitate to contact Cindy, our financial secretary.  And as always, we still accept and appreciate your mail-in contributions!

We value your support as we partner to do Christ’s life-giving work! 

Blessings,

Pastor Matt