St. Matthew’s, Arkansas parishioners join Advent, Lillian parishioners in a Litany of Healing for the Gulf of Mexico

By The Rev. Martha Kreamer, Vicar
Church of the Advent, Lillian

As a stiff beach breeze tried in vain to whip the corporal out from underneath the chalice and paten, nineteen people, two priests, and one puppy gathered from two distant churches for Eucharist on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

Parishioners of St Matthew’s, Benton, Arkansas, needed to witness the state of Gulf waters for themselves, and wanted to offer prayers for healing for all life and particularly for the lives affected by the oil spill disaster.  As it happened, one of their parishioners’ (Chris Ellis) parents have a home in Gulf Shores.  Donna Ellis, a member of Church of the Advent, Lillian, AL invited the group to stay at her home, and invited Advent parishioners to participate.   On Friday, August 13, a combined service of healing, anointing, and Holy Eucharist came together.

Led by their Vicar, the Rev. Lorraine Slaymaker, St. Matthew’s brought water from Hot Springs, Arkansas, which is famous for its healing properties.  After blessing the water, the people and the Gulf of Mexico were aspersed with the Holy water, and the Arkansas Hot Springs’ water was poured into the Gulf, in a powerful symbol of our connectedness to one another and to God’s Creation.  Eucharist followed, with the Rev. Martha Kreamer and the Rev. Slaymaker concelebrating.  Highlights of the service were the litany for the Gulf of Mexico, written by the Rev. Albert Kennington, the Prayer for the Gulf, written by the Rev. Beverly Gibson, and a healing litany written adapted for the occasion by the parishioners of St. Matthew’s, as follows:

Litany of Healing

Celebrant:    Let us name before God those for whom we offer our prayers.

— The People audibly name those for whom they are interceding. A Person appointed then leads the Litany

God the Father, among the wonders of your creation you have given us these gulf waters and shores.  You have filled them with amazing sea creatures, beautiful birds and animals, wondrous plant life to feed and sustain our bodies and fill our eyes and souls with wonder.  Your will for all your creation is health and salvation;

We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

God the Son, you came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly;  you chose fisherman and their families to spread your word and you fed those who came to listen by creating miracles using loaves and fishes.  The fisherman who make their livelihood on these waters, continue to feed us as you did, from the bounty of the sea.  Other families generously add to our abundance of life by providing the inns and restaurants that allow tourists to come and share the wonders of these shores.

We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

God the Holy Spirit, you make our bodies the temple of your presence, that we may bring your living reality into the world, that we may through you have the knowledge and sensitivity to be responsible care-takers of your creation, and by our actions bear witness to your word;

We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

Holy Trinity, one God, in you we live and move and have our being, in you lies the hope for healing from all natural and man-made disasters, for all transformation and resurrection of that which is broken, through you there is abundant hope for recovery of the life and beauty of these shores and waters;

We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

Lord, grant your healing grace to all of your living creatures who have been made sick or injured by this massive spill of oil, to all who have lost their homes and their livelihood as a result of this disaster;

Hear us, O Lord of life.

Grant to all who seek your guidance, and to all who suffer or are lonely, anxious, or despondent, knowledge of your will and an awareness of your presence;

Hear us, O Lord of life.

Mend broken ecosystems and broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; heal also the financial pressures and broken priorities that drive us to cut safety corners and lead us to engage in practices that endanger your creation, our health and well-being, and the future of our children.

Hear us, O Lord of life.

Bless all the scientists, ornithologists, oceanographers, ecologists, loving volunteers and all others who minister to the animal and human suffering resulting from this oil spill, granting them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience;

Hear us, O Lord of life.

Grant to all of your creation that has suffered death or is dying as a result of this oil spill peace and a holy death, and uphold by the grace and consolation of your Holy Spirit those who have grief over the losses and damage to this area.

Hear us, O Lord of life.

Restore to wholeness whatever is broken by human sin, in the gulf, in our lives, in our nation, and in the world;

Hear us, O Lord of life.

You are the Lord who does wonders:

You have declared your power among the peoples.

With you, O Lord, is the well of life:

And in your light we see light.

Hear us, O Lord of life:

Heal us, and make us whole.

Celebrant     Let us pray

O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people; in the multitude of your mercies look with compassion upon us and all who turn to you for help; for you are gracious, O lover of souls, and to you we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.