I’m not a preacher, but I was asked to deliver the opening prayer at Council On Aging’s Rat Pack Reunion fund-raising event Friday, October 19, 2018. It took a couple hours to compose, and this is what I offered:
“Dear Lord: Please be present with us this evening. Many of us have felt overwhelmed at the destruction and devastation of recent hurricanes and floods affecting family, friends, and strangers alike. Their needs are so great and we feel so small. Your guidance to us, however, is simple and specific: Love your neighbor as yourself.
“We know we can’t fix everything that confronts us, but we CAN all do something, and we do it best when we work together. This is a time to acknowledge what we collectively HAVE accomplished and WILL accomplish—and the many ways the funds raised will bless the elders in our community who need our care and assistance.
“In life, there is a time to work and a time to rejoice, so tonight we lift our hearts and voices to recognize the variety of ways this roomful of generous men and women help COA serve the elderly, whether through sponsorships, raising the paddle, volunteering, or simply choosing to be present for this special event.
“We especially celebrate this year’s Rats—Valerie, Bob, Justin, and Troy— whose good deeds will soon become clear to all of us.
Thank you for your bountiful blessings and gifts. For the next few hours, we will take pleasure in them, reveling in the good food, fun, and festivities, temporarily putting aside our cares and concerns for tomorrow.
“Bless the food we are about to receive and all those who prepare and serve it. May it nourish every one of us in both body and soul. In your name we pray, Amen”
No, I’m not a preacher, but when the need is great and the mission is clear, even I can deliver a prayer.
by Kathleen Vestal Logan, MS, MA October 22, 2018