Pray with India on Sunday, September 10, 2017

Lectionary Selection: Matthew 18:15-20

Prayers for India:

Lord of powerful winds and mighty rains, shelter your people. Hear their cries among the rising waters. Be with the hundreds of thousands of families who have been affected. Show your love through rescue workers, neighbors, and strangers. Help us to see your face in the midst of tragedy, both here in Houston and across Southern Asia. Help us to be present through our prayers and actions. You will be there among us to carry us through.

Amen

Mission Stewardship Moment from India:

As Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston, monsoons drenched Mumbai, paralyzing the city for days.

This summer has been one of the worst rainy seasons for Southern Asia in recent years. The rivers are full to the point of bursting and already 1,200 lives have been lost with 24 million affected. Each storm brings a new threat to the millions of people in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal that make their homes near the rivers.

Mudslides and flooding disproportionately affect those living on the margins, as they tend to build on the worst land and their neighborhoods are often the last to receive emergency assistance. This isn’t only true in India, but in Houston as well. As Pope Francis reminded us this week, “Listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, who suffer most because of the unbalanced ecology.”

Floods wash away lives, homes get swept up in swirling streams, and decades of work can be lost in an instant. Recovery for the people of India will take far more than the rapid response of emergency workers. It will take years to restore what has been lost for so many this monsoon season. That is why the long relationships nurtured through Global Ministries are so vital in these regions. Together with Global Ministries, the churches of India will respond to their communities needs and challenges over the coming years as they rebuild.

Mission Partners in India:

More information on India: http://www.globalministries.org/india