May God Bless America

My husband, Mike, was greatly disturbed (as we all were) by the events of yesterday (January 6, 2021) so this morning, he wrote these words to our congregation at Centenary UMC:

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐂 𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 ?

We need to pray and extend grace, love, and compassion to the persons who lost their lives, the injured, their families, and all persons impacted.

We need to acknowledge that what happened was evil. There are no excuses for it. There is no justification for it. There is no whitewashing it aside.

My heart and soul are both angry and immensely sad at what I witnessed. May God have mercy and extend His holy grace and peace to us in our times of trouble and turmoil.

"Jesus wept." - John: 11:35

Senate Chaplain Barry Black closed the joint session of Congress (January 6, 2021) in prayer: "We deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy."

A video of his remarks is here:

https://vaumc.org/?mailpoet_router&endpoint=track&action=click&data=WyIxNzUwIiwiNHJjbmRtYWNwOXVzd3d3b3d3c2Nvc29jc3dnNDBnNHciLCIxMjUiLCJjNWYyMDhhZmU2OGUiLGZhbHNlXQ

Grace, Mercy, and Peace,

Pastor Mike West

Keep praying and trusting in God. I mean a "trust" that has no doubt whatsoever in it. Has God ever failed you or me? No. Then that's enough reason for me to continue to trust Him in all that I ask and in all that He does.

Thanks for stopping by,

Rachel