On September 11, 2001, I was a second-year seminary student. I first heard the news that the day was not an ordinary one when I arrived at the chapel service for the morning. Following worship, the whole seminary community gathered around the television and watched together in horror as the towers collapsed. All who witnessed that day have their own stories of their experiences and connections to the tragedies of the day. As we recall the violence and loss, as well as the acts of bravery, on September 11, 2001, we pray all the more fervently for God’s peace in this hurting world. –Pastor Eric
Let us pray, using the following prayer from the Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church:
A Prayer for the Anniversary of 9/11
O God, our hope and refuge,
in our distress we come quickly to you.
Shock and horror of that tragic day have subsided,
replaced now with an emptiness,
a longing for an innocence lost.
We come remembering those who lost their lives
in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
We are mindful of the sacrifice of public servants
who demonstrated the greatest love of all
by laying down their lives for friends.
We commit their souls to your eternal care
and celebrate their gifts to a fallen humanity.
We come remembering
and we come in hope,
not in ourselves, but in you.
As foundations we once thought secure have been shaken,
we are reminded of the illusion of security.
In commemorating this tragedy,
we give you thanks for your presence
in our time of need
and we seek to worship you in Spirit and in truth,
our guide and our guardian. Amen.
The Rev. Jeremy Pridgeon is District Superintendent of the Pensacola District of the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference.