This week, we feature a prayer guide for the city of Boston during the COVID-19 pandemic put together by Anne Freeman, based off of the “Empty Streets, Full Hearts” video. Anne is a member of River of Life Church in Jamaica Plain, and works in Boston as a freelance American Sign Language Interpreter.  She also serves in Deaf ministry through New England Deaf & Hard of Hearing Ministry, under the umbrella of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts. There are also prophecies at the bottom of this post from UniteBoston’s Prophetic Council. This is a great resource to pray for the city either personally, or with your family, in a small group, or congregation. 

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Empty Streets, Full Hearts

We've spent the last few months documenting life in Boston during the Pandemic and put together this video. We're all in this together, Stay #BostonStrong

Posted by Indresano Studios on Friday, May 8, 2020

Please pray for the following segments of Boston society as we ride out the COVID 19 pandemic. 

1. People sick with COVID 19: Jehovah Raphe (God our healer), we speak hope, health (mental & physical) and healing strength over the people who have tested positive for COVID 19 in the city of Boston. We ask that you help them discern when to return to normal activity after their 14 days of quarantine. We especially pray for Chelsea, the hardest hit city with COVID 19 in the entire state of Massachusetts.

2. First responders: Jehovah Sabaoth (Lord of hosts), we lift up the Boston Police, Fire Fighters, EMTs & The National Guard to you, declaring your protection, safety & perseverance over these people who serve our city on the front lines. We especially lift up their morale to you for protection.

3. Medical facilities: Jehovah Shalom (the God of Peace), we lift up the 20 hospitals in the city of Boston, all staff, administrators, researchers, and their financial resources. We pray for their psychological and emotional strength, tenacity, protection and safety, and their ability to cooperate well with each other under the strain of the demands being made on them during this pandemic.

4. Those in Power: El Shaddai (the God of Power), we lift the Boston city government, Mayor Marty Walsh, city workers and Massachusetts state Governor Charlie Baker, as well as state workers to you, declaring your wisdom and justice in their allocation of resources. Give them perseverance to continue to do well in managing this crisis in our city.

5. Households: Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider), we lift our households in Boston to you, including families that are spending more time than usual together, experiencing stress of disrupted schedules, financial crisis, & inability to celebrate special occasions as usual. We also lift up those who live alone, dealing with loneliness, isolation and need to sense your presence. We pray for those who may be quarantined in a home where there is someone neglectful or abusive. Send your angels of protection over them and bring justice where there is wrongdoing.

6. The economy/ financial institutions: Jehovah Nissi (God of Victory), we pray you would help people who work in Boston banks, credit unions and the Federal Reserve to have ethical practices, decision making and good judgement, especially because so many businesses are applying for loans. We also lift those who work in the Boston Department of Unemployment as so many people are applying for unemployment benefits. They are fielding unusually large amounts of applications. May our economy weather this storm in your strength! We lift up East Boston, Revere and Winthrop where there is an overwhelming amount of community need for food.

7. Funeral homes & clergy: Jehovah Kadesh (God who sanctifies or makes holy) we lift every Boston pastor, priest, minister, rabbi, nun, Imam and lay leader to you, asking for your anointing and supernatural ability to handle unprecedented demands during this crisis. Many Boston congregations are meeting remotely, requiring leaders to learn how to use technology they may be unfamiliar with and that is not always effective. We also lift the funeral directors and their staff at the many Boston funeral homes that are, along with clergy, facilitating many more funerals and memorial services than usual. We remember cemetery staff who are also busier than usual. Give them strength and enable them to carry out fair business practices.

8. High Risk Populations: Jehovah Elohim (God who is strong and mighty) we remember those who are most vulnerable among us, including elderly people, those experiencing homelessness, prisoners, people with disabilities, those living in institutions like group homes and halfway houses, shelters, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, state hospitals, and assisted living facilities. We speak your supernatural protection over people with compromised immune systems and people in recovery from substance use disorder in our city. Strengthen them with your might, our most vulnerable citizens.

9. Military: Jehovah Nissi (God of victory on the battlefield), we thank you for and lift all Boston enlisted, other military personnel and civilians working on Boston military bases. They are handling the stress of cancelled leave, may be suffering from symptoms of PTSD and living in close quarters. We speak salvation over those who may not know you & your grace over military marriages under strain. Provide effective treatment for those with mental health issues, and shelter, food and clothing for Homeless Vets. Military chaplains may be fielding questions that are hard to answer from those they have spiritual responsibility for.

10. Educational institutions: God our Judge, we recognize you alone hold the scales of justice for our 35 colleges in the city of Boston, the large and oldest in the country public education system and the many private schools we have. We lift up all the home schoolers who live in Boston. We lift up the students experiencing remote learning, some for the first time. Help them handle stress of their disrupted schedules, social lives, cancelled events at the end of the year, graduations that must be conducted remotely and anxiety about summer programs. We pray for teachers and instructors that are having to learn how to use technology at levels they have never been required to before. May our educators not fail in educating our students during this crisis, with your help. Be with the students under these difficult circumstances and help them to do their best in learning and completing assignments. Anoint their creativity in handling hardship this pandemic is bringing to their education.

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There are many other great resources for prayer, including a “May This Plague Pass Over: A Prayer for the Commonwealth from the Massachusetts Council of Churches and “Prayer for a Pandemic” poem below by Cameron Bellum.

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Prayers & Prophecies from UniteBoston’s Prophetic Council

We also wanted to share these prayers and prophecies from UniteBoston’s Prophetic Council from May 23, 2020. For more information about the prophetic council, contact Alanah Percy, alanah.percy@gmail.com.

Prophecy For The City: 

The Lord is shaking Boston and the tremors can be heard throughout the earth. Revival is coming to Boston and the weapon of the revival is prayer. Radical obedience to God will be the new normal in this season. Unusual works of the Holy Spirit will come upon the city. The Lord is calling for unity in the body of Christ in Boston and churches will find ways to connect and a decentralization of power will be the norm in this new season. Jesus is on the throne. 

Prophecy for Individuals and Families:

God is releasing grace over families during this season. He is breaking personal strongholds and reinforcing us with his love. Pray Ephesians 3:20 over yourself and your families. 

When facing moments of difficulty, uncertainty, and change in our lives, it’s common for many to question “Why is life happening this way? Where is God in all of this?” Facing the implications of a global pandemic and social distancing, these questions can seem more prevalent in people’s hearts and minds than ever before. In the spirit of offering comfort and insight in these challenging moments, we’re excited to feature Jen Aldana’s second original music video: “Trust in You.” 

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Released on May 15, “Trust in You” shares a relatable glimpse into the inner doubts one can experience and the resolve one can feel when deciding to trust in God in those moments of insecurity. Rather than showing this dynamic overtly by having a character overcome a monumental challenge, or through a series of relationships as depicted in Jen’s previous music video: “Heaven Rejoices,” “Trust In You” instead walks the viewer through the day to day activities during which individuals may be contemplating those subtle doubts–such as while going about a morning routine, driving, or walking through Boston. According to Jen, embedded in the video’s simplicity lies the conviction that “we have to make this decision every single day as we live our regular lives.” “It’s not just in the big things, it’s in the little things too,” Jen said. “I start off the video at home because those are the times when I feel like my mind gets jumbled with doubt. So that’s what I wanted to show, that even though I’m just starting my day, I have to make that decision of ‘God, I’m going to trust you for this day.’” 

Interpreting Jen’s explanation through the lens of the “Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew 6:9-13, one could almost view the scenes depicted in “Trust in You” as a living reminder that “as we give God our daily trust, God ‘gives us this day our daily bread.’” 

Since Jen herself is the only “character” in the video, viewers may correlate its themes and scenes with today’s social distance living. However, as Jen explained, this relatability to current events is unintended as the video was filmed in October 2019, and the song itself was written much earlier in 2018. That said, in response to the video’s release coinciding with the coronavirus pandemic, Jen encouraged viewers to see “Trust in You” as a reminder that “we’re gonna make it through” and to “keep trusting God the same way we did before this pandemic.” 

While circumstantially the timing of video and its messages may be coincidental, what enables “Trust In You” to maintain its relatability and authenticity across such a long period of time is the story behind it. Similar to her previous video: “Heaven Rejoices,” the song “Trust in You” was written in response to Jen’s own experiences maintaining her faith in God during challenging times. “I wrote this song during a time in my life where I was confused about my music career, had just ended a really long term relationship, and was honestly just unsure about where God was taking my life,” Jen said. “And despite all of that, I felt led to write songs of worship, and this song is one of the ones that came out of it.” In the midst of this confusion, Jen contemplated releasing the songs she had written, and questioned whether this was the right time. One of her mentors assured her, “Jen, this is exactly the time to do it. Because, you’re going to help so many people when you write from this place of pain rather than from a place of perfection. It is so much more impactful for you to say these words about trusting in God when you are in the middle of a wilderness in your life.” 

Reflecting on her journey and the video’s release, Jen hopes that “Trust In You” may serve as “an encouragement that people can share with anyone who may need this reminder.” Be on the lookout for Jen’s next music video: “Your Peace” being released on June 5th! Follow her Instagram @jenaldanamusic for the latest updates. 

On April 28, 2020, UniteBoston hosted a webinar which featured the stories of four church leaders about how their church is caring for the body of Christ and missionally engaging, despite tight restrictions. More than 40 people joined in, coming from 31 different churches! Watch this recording of the Zoom call to hear real stories from church pastors and leaders on the front lines, followed by Q & A and prayer.

Selected quotations from the webinar

“What I’m seeing now that I haven’t seen before is an openness to spiritual things. I’ve heard that people are calling chaplains to the floor of hospitals to pray for the staff. People are very eager to hear from someone who is spiritual, and we know that as Jesus Christ. So it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to grow deep in our relationship with God and bear witness to the grace and generosity of Jesus Christ.” 

-Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, co-pastor of Bethel AME Church

“So much of ministry is physical presence, but we can still do a lot in this time of physical distancing. Facetime calls, What’s App, putting together playlists for people or sending audio messages they can play over and over again – these are helpful even for those who are comatose or sedated. Think about what is the soundtrack of comfort for them and put together a love list.”

-Rev. Ray Hammond, co-pastor of Bethel AME Church

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“In our church, we have launched life communities, connecting communities, spiritual communities and neighboring communities. Creating spaces of community and leaning into it hard is the only way we’re going to make it through together… Our Easter Sermon was ‘What if things aren’t supposed to go back to normal?’ God makes things new; God takes situations that are full of death and makes them better. My prayer is that we embrace this and lead the way, that we faithfully engage in new and tangible ways. Change is necessary and we don’t have to be fearful or go back to normal – we can go back to a new and better rhythm that is more of the picture of unity that Jesus prayed for.”

-Pastor Chris Hall, lead pastor of Reunion Christian Church

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“I see Christians trying to get ‘through this’ so we can go back to our understanding of ‘normal.’ But God is intentionally leading us to a different place of doing and being the Church. We do ministry in our congregations, but how do we incarnationally engage the world for the kingdom of God? How do we see ourselves within an ecosystem of other churches so we can really be salt and light to the world? I see the body of Christ coming together in phenomenal ways; I’m just hoping that it continues and isn’t just an episodic thing because we had this crisis.”

-Rev. David Wright, Executive Director of the Black Ministerial Alliance & Assistant to the Pastor, People’s Baptist Church

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“Psalm 18:35 describes how God in weakness stoops down to make others great. I like to think about how I can pour into other churches so they can be empowered and equipped. We have established twelve projects with project managers serving to address tangible needs arising with COVID-19. I have also seen a huge need for shepherding, to shepherd our own hearts and our neighborhoods.”

-Rev. Kimberley Morrison, minister of City Engagement at Park Street Church

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Chelsea is currently the hardest-hit city with COVID-19 in the state of Massachusetts. Chelsea, and other communities in East Boston such as Revere and Winthrop, are also facing an overwhelming amount of community need for food. These cities also don’t have access to the Resiliency Fund and other volunteer resources that the city of Boston has.

As each of us considers these challenging realities, God invites us to share our resources with one another, a practice of generosity that has characterized Christians since the Church in Acts: “They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.” (Acts 2:42).

UniteBoston has launched a fund to fuel some of the tangible needs arising with the coronavirus. We have been blown away to see the support that has come in – as of May 2, $1449 has come in to our COVID-19 Missional Engagement Fund. All donations are tax-deductible – click on the link below to give (choose COVID-19 response).

This money will be split between the following organizations / causes:

1. Items for mental and spiritual health for patients at the Boston Hope Hospital. The Boston Hope is a field hospital that has been set up at the Boston Convention Center, primarily for individuals experiencing homelessness who have tested positive for COVID-19 and patients who are recovering from COVID.
2. Food Pantry items through First Congregational Church in Revere. Rev. Nicholas Granitsas has served as the pastor there for 46 years, and has cooperation with a variety of Catholic and Protestant groups in his food pantry. Typically, they serve 60 to 80 families weekly, but they have had 297-399 families per week the past four weeks.
3. Food pantry items through St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Chelsea. They are also feeding thousands of people weekly; on Saturday April 26, this food pantry fed 3,000 people.
4. Organizational assistance to Central Assembly of God in East Boston. Pastor David Searles’s church website has become a hub for information about food resources for the community.
5. Stop & Shop gift cards to pastors affiliated with the Black Ministerial Alliance to assist families in their congregations and the broader community.

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Testimonies

Hi Kelly and Unite Boston,

I just wanted to say thank you so much for your generosity in supporting our homeless patients at the Boston Hope field hospital. Your gifts of therapy supplies and Bibles have been a huge encouragement and blessing to our guests and staff. The stress these people are under is incredible, but your donations have been a poignant image of God’s love and peace during these dark times. Thank you for sharing your resources and not hoarding even though I know that so many of you are struggling yourselves right now. Your partnership in this ministry is a testimony to the power of the Body when we act in unity.

Sincerely,

Sam and the Boston Hope Wellness Team

Kelly Madden, Director of the Boston Fellows and member of the Church of the Cross, is our guest blogger this week. Kelly has a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a PhD in Political Theory from the University of York, England. He is the husband of Heather, the father of two adult children, Alex and Kathryn, and an ordained Anglican clergyman. Kelly reflects on the experiences in his life during times of crisis – Read below to hear his wisdom and advice on how Christians can faithfully endure the current COVID-19 pandemic.

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On July 16, 1990, I was sitting in an easy chair in the marble-lined lobby of an international hotel in Manila, Philippines, when someone behind me shook my chair. Turning around, I realized no one was there. The whole hotel was shaking. Out on the street I watched a large crack open up, bottom-to-top, 15 stories up the side of the building. The earthquake killed 1,600 people in the country. I was soon given responsibility for a global conference of 600 people, the reason we were there, and I was named to the leadership team for a summer-long series of events bringing together about 4,000 Cru staff members from around the globe. It was also an unusually strong season of typhoons. And before any of that, we were receiving death threats from a radical group, because of our evangelistic activities.

On March 25, 1991, I returned from a ministry trip to my home, then in Mali, West Africa. As my colleague drove me home from the airport, we saw burning cars and tires, and smoldering buildings, with debris from rioting scattered along the road. That night the military (justly) overthrew a tyrannical dictator. We could hear mobs tearing down the house of the Minister of Education, about 100 meters away, stripping even the copper wire from the walls.  For a few weeks, the rule of law broke down. Some time in the next few days, on my 10-minute walk to work, I passed a body in the marketplace, killed during related rioting. My immediate supervisor was a prominent African pastor, soon named to a seven-member national transitional committee, responsible for ushering in a new form of government. 

Several times in the late 1980’s, while I was responsible for a university ministry in Dakar, Senegal, students fought skirmishes with police, who used teargas, and eventually evacuated the campus by force, for several periods of several weeks each. Then from 1990 to 1994, I supervised university ministries in 15 countries, where national crises such as these were common.

All that was another season in my life. But I’ve been reflecting on the lessons learned then, for this new season. Maybe these observations are obvious. But maybe they can serve to “comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:4)

My takeaways:

1. It’s a spiritual battle, too. Don’t be like me and wait until you see arrows sticking out of your body before you realize it. God is a God of order, Satan is a god of chaos. The devil’s biggest tool—maybe his only power, in the end—is deception. He is lying to you, constantly, about God’s goodness, God’s love for you, care for you, power to accomplish his purposes for you. Resist the enemy. As Jesus did, during his time in the wilderness, strike back at Satan with God’s Word: “It is written….” Proclaim it, out loud, in Jesus’ name, in bold denunciation of Satan’s lies.
2. This too shall pass. All that we see is passing. We are mortal: Dust we are and to dust we shall return. God and his Word endures, our hope is in things we do not see. Beyond death is the Resurrection, death overcome by death. That is our end, our hope, our joy.
3. For now, don’t plan too far out. I’m always tempted to come up with a big strategy. It’s good to think and dream. But in these times, take next steps, mostly, and be here, now. Life is what happens while you are waiting for life to happen.
4. Be gentle with yourself. It’s stressful. Your productivity and capacity are greatly reduced. That’s just the way it is right now. Accept it. 
5. Give yourself godly structure, and stick to it. Establish order, under God, for your life: Daily time with the Lord, working hours, exercise, healthy eating, worthwhile leisure, plenty of rest and margins. But be flexible, too, when things change. When things change.
6. Take care of each other. Despite the difficulties of connecting, this is an opportunity to grow in love, through shared challenges.
7. Stay away from trouble. American friends and family, who knew about my circumstances in the periods described above, often expressed concern. I told them: I’m safer here than I would be in parts of your city. There is no safer place than in God’s will. Just stay away from obvious trouble.
8. Keep your sense of humor. I have a life-long interest in the humor of the Bible. It’s there, if you have eyes to see it. To see the humor in our situation is to see our limitations, and weaknesses, and failures, but also to honor God’s grace, and the safety it gives us. Just don’t use humor to hurt others. Godly humor is another way to defy the devil’s lies. 

God’s breath filled all things
  with a living, breathing light—
A light that thrives in the depths of darkness,
  blazes through murky bottoms.
It cannot and will not be quenched.

– John 1:5 (The Voice)

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Dear friends,

Wherever you are at in the midst of this crisis, know that God sees you. Through the life of Jesus, we know that God relates intimately to any pain and suffering that we experience. God also particularly cares for the sick, the poor, and the vulnerable. And where God is, light shines – the darkness has not overcome it.

We see this light shining in the midst of this crisis through followers of Jesus responding to tangible needs with faith, hope, and generosity. We wanted to send out a special email today elevating two urgent opportunities right now. Consider whether you might be able to act, and sharing with your church community.

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Food Insecurity in Chelsea

Chelsea is currently the hardest-hit city with COVID-19 in the state of Massachusetts. Chelsea is also facing an overwhelming amount of community need for food. Chelsea doesn’t have access to the Resiliency Fund and other volunteer resources that the city of Boston has.

In response, Pastor David Searles from Central Assembly of God Church in East Boston has put together a list of food resources for the community.

Chelsea is currently looking for:

-Diaper donations – Email Mimi Graney or text 617-831-8332 to schedule a time to drop off items.

-Food packaging volunteers – Shifts Monday through Saturday, 8am to 12pm – Contact Alex Train (Assistant Director of Planning and Development) for more information.

 -Economic resources for a funeral fund for the community so families can have the resources necessary for a dignified funeral and cremation. Donations can be made out to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 201 Washington Ave., Chelsea, MA, attn: Vicars Funeral Fund. 

-Diapers for families. People can donate to a Baby Products & Supplies Fund coordinated by the Emmanuel Gospel Center. Diapers will be sent to Chelsea, Boston, and greater Boston where we find there is need.

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Boston Hope

The Boston Hope is a field hospital that has been set up at the Boston Convention Center, primarily for individuals experiencing homelessness who have tested positive for COVID-19 and patients who are recovering from COVID. They have an urgent need for:

-Bibles for bible studies run by hospital chaplains

-Everyday Items to support the behavioral health needs of patients, including art supplies, journals, and games.

To help, you can either purchase an item off of their Target wish list, or if you’d prefer a tax-deductible donation, you can donate to UniteBoston (Indicate “COVID Response”) and we will distribute these funds to them.

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Click on the image above to watch a beautiful depiction of various people striving to make light shine in the darkness: “And when this passes, may we say that love spread more quickly than any virus ever could.”

Thank you for being part of the UniteBoston community – We’re here to connect Christians for the flourishing of our communities. May God help us to be sensitive and courageous in embodying God’s love to our neighbors.