CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Answer me when I call. O God of my right!
People: You gave me room when I was in distress.
Leader: Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
People: Lord, you have set us apart for yourself; you hear when we call to you.

HYMN 562 Eternal Father, Strong to Save

UNISON PRAYER
(By Presbyterian Moderator Jack Rogers)
Oh just and merciful God, we are shocked by a series of terrible acts against humanity and especially our country. We pray for the innocent victims and their families. We pray also that those whose hearts are filled with hate might be turned away from evil. Help us not to speak or act rashly, not knowing by whom or why these awful deeds have been committed. Fill our hearts with compassion for those in need, and strengthen our will that we may do justly and love mercy and walk humbly before you. In Christ's name, Amen

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 46

MEDITATION: SCATANA - Henry Brinton

Our lives have been rocked. Everything that seemed so solid has been shaken.

The twin towers of the World Trade Center. The Pentagon. Symbols of American strength and stability, taken out by terrorist attack.

And the lives -- both those lost and those changed forever by today's horrible events. Through a network of connections that unite us as families and friends and acquaintances across this country, every one of us has been affected by the devastation of this day. As Martin Luther King once said so well, "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

And so we mourn -- mourn the fatalities and the casualties, as well as our own loss of innocence. We have been attacked, and will never feel completely safe again.

But there is one thing we can do, one term we should remember: SCATANA.

Yes, SCATANA. Maybe it's new to you. I just learned it myself. SCATANA is a term for a special military operation, meaning Security Control of Air Traffic and Navigation Aids. In a time of national crisis, all civilian airlines go to the ground, and all military aircraft go into the air, to provide for strong defense.

Today, as you know, the Federal Aviation Administration closed all the nation's airports, for the first time in history. SCATANA.

As Christians, we may not have a role in the grounding of any aircraft, but in a time of crisis we are challenged to practice a kind of spiritual SCATANA: To go to the ground of our being, Almighty God.

"God is our refuge and strength," Psalm 46 reminds us, "a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea" ... though jets should crash ... though buildings should crumble ... though countless lives should be lost.

The psalm goes on to promise that God is in the midst of the city, and that God will help it when the morning dawns. Although the nations are in an uproar and the kingdoms totter, God remains in control. "The Lord of hosts is with us," claims this song of faith, "the God of Jacob is our refuge."

At a time like this, we go to the ground ... to the solid ground that is our creating, redeeming, and sustaining Lord.

At a time like this, we land on the firmest of foundations, the mighty fortress that is our God.

It's the only place of any strength and stability.

SCATANA.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE - Carrie Yearick
In the silence that follows each invitation to "Let us pray...," you are invited to offer particular concers.
Let us pray for the world...
Let us pray for the church...
Let us pray for peace...
Let us pray for enemies...
Let us pray for those who govern us...
Let us pray for world leaders...
Let us pray for the work we do...
Let us pray for the sick...
Let us pray for those who sorrow...
Let us pray for the world...
Let us pray for friends and families...

HYMN 260 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

BENEDICTION