Supporting Those Who Suffer : Thursday Thoughts
     Phillips Memorial Baptist Church

Phillips Memorial Baptist Church
565 Pontiac Avenue
Cranston, Rhode Island  02910

401-467-3300

pmbcoffice565@gmail.com

Rev. Dr. Amy Chilton: phillipsmemorialpastor@gmail.com

  Pastor Amy's Thursday Thoughts

Supporting Those Who Suffer

by Rev. Dr. Amy Chilton on 10/03/24

Sometimes bad things happen to good people. This Sunday when I preach on the Hebrew Scripture book of Job I will explore Job’s wanting to take God to trial for what happened in his own life - and how God’s response shows us that very often people don’t earn their trials, they just happen.

 

The parents of a friend of mine, who is a minister in South Carolina, live near Asheville, NC. Their house was flooded nearly to the top of the ground floor. Another friend has asked for prayers for Nepal, who also is experiencing substantial flooding and now has a death toll of 200+ from flooding and landslides. This is slightly more than the death toll from Hurricane Helene.

 

I am two degrees removed from good people who have been impacted by these natural disasters. Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

 

I keep saying we need “actions and advocacy” not just “thoughts and prayers.” What can we do in the aftermath of these disasters? First, we can pray. The national and local responses to these emergencies are complex. Pray for political leaders both here and in Nepal, that they would offer an organized and focused response with financial and other resources needed. Pray for faith leaders in both locations as they offer pastoral presence to suffering people, many of them conducting funerals for people who were tragically lost. And then do something. There are some links below that show you some ways you can respond.

 

Prayer and action is what we are called to - it’s what Jesus did too!

 

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

 

Blessings,

 

Pastor Amy


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Our American Baptist family is offering multiple recommendations for how to support relief efforts in areas impacted by Helene.

 

-  The American Baptist Home Mission Society is collecting and

distributing relief funds for those impacted by Helene. You can find

more information and make a donation here.

 

- The Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists has issued the following statement:

                       

Dear AWAB Community,

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As communities, congregations, and other places of worship manage the aftermath of Helene, AWAB is keenly aware of member churches that have been hit hard by this storm. We invite our entire AWAB family to remember specifically:

?    First Baptist Church, Asheville, NC

?    Circle of Mercy, Asheville, NC

?    Providence Baptist Church, Hendersonville, NC

?    First Baptist Church, Greenville, SC

 

Here are ways to support the recovery efforts being done in each of these communities:

WNC Helene Resource Guide

Foundation for Appalachia Kentucky Hurricane Helene Relief Fund

CBF Disaster Response Fund

Blue Ridge Public Radio Disaster Relief Guide

 

As an AWAB family, may we stand together through the challenges of this storm.

 

Praying for all,

Rev. Dr. Brian Henderson

Executive Director

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